Roger Allers directed the 1994 animated feature The Lion King with codirector Rob Minkoff. He then, along with co-author Irene Mecchi, wrote the book for The Lion King Broadway musical based on his film, receiving the 1998 Tony nomination. Mr. Allers has been instrumental in shaping the structure and dialogue for many Disney animated features since 1986, including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Oliver and Company, Rescuers Down Under and the first CGI movie, Tron. He directed the Academy Awardnominated short The Little Matchgirl for Disney and co-directed the 2006 animated feature Open Season for Sony Studios. Mr. Allers wrote and directed the 2015 animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, a book of philosophical poetry. Currently, he is preparing his original musical “The Grasshopper” with composer Genaro Pereira for the Broadway stage.