Miller Auditorium renovated ahead of Broadway’s ‘The Lion King,’ capacity shrinks

KALAMAZOO, MI - Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University has a new look.

Two center aisles have been permanently added to the auditorium — just in time for the famed Broadway show "The Lion King."

At the start of "The Lion King," the cast travels down the theater's center aisles to take the stage. If a theatre doesn't have center aisles, the cast enters from the wings of the stage, said Tracey Lawie, executive director of Miller Auditorium.

"The beginning of the show is quite a spectacle," Lawie said.

Roughly 215 seats were removed to make way for the center aisles, Lawie said.

Miller Auditorium is one of the largest performing art centers in Michigan with more than 3,000 seats, Lawie said. Before the center aisles were installed, the auditorium had 3,419 seats.

"Most theaters that present shows similar to Miller have between 1,800 to 2,500 seats max," Lawie said.

So removing the seats won't have a significant impact on Miller Auditorium ticket sales, Lawie said.

"We really have 1,000 more seats more than what we should for what we do now," Lawie said.

The auditorium has three sections: the orchestra, grand tier and balcony. Sections are opened based on a show's demand. Most Broadway shows sell between 1,500 and 2,000 tickets, Lawie said.

Miller Auditorium was previously a "continental seating" theatre, meaning seats went from the left to right side of the theatre with no divides.

"It was built that way because back in the 1960s, that's how New York houses were built, and it affords extra legroom so that people could walk in front of (seats)," Lawie said.

Now, the theatre has the same extra legroom of a continental theater with better access to walk past other patrons.

The project to add aisles cost roughly $80,000, Lawie said.

Other improvements made this summer include upgraded the electrical equipment for stage lighting and added accessible backstage bathrooms backstage, Lawie said.

"The Lion King" will show in Kalamazoo from Jan. 29 to Feb. 9, 2025, with 16 shows. Tickets range between $55 to $154.

" daily newsletter.