Billy Eichner is finally getting to live out his childhood dream of a being in a major stage musical. The “Bros” star is making his Hollywood Bowl singing debut this weekend during “ The Lion King ‘s” 30th anniversary live-to-film concert. “We just had our first official rehearsal all together this morning,” Eichner told me Wednesday afternoon.
“The scope and size of it really knocked me out. If I can get through it, I think it’s going to be really fun.” Eichner, who played Timon in the 2019 “Lion King” remake and reprises the role in the upcoming prequel film “Mufasa: The Lion King,” isn’t allowed to say what he’ll be performing.
But it has already been announced that the two-night run — May 24 and 25 — will also feature “Lion King” veterans Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Heather Headley, Lebo M and Jason Weaver, as well as EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s daughter North West. Eichner says he first dreamed of being in a Broadway musical when he was barely a teen after seeing Lane in “Guys and Dolls.” “My parents took me to see it for my 13th birthday,” the “Billy On the Street” host recalled.
“Nathan Lane was in it with Faith Prince, Walter Bobby and Peter Gallagher. But when we went, Faith Prince was out that night so I had a temper tantrum in the lobby of the Martin Beck Theatre. I just lost my mind when I saw the sign that she’d be out.
” Young Eichner calmed down in time.
