Nearly 15 years after it made its debut to both critical and popular acclaim, "The Lion King" has topped "The Phantom of the Opera" as Broadway's highest-grossing musical of all time.

The show, based on the Disney animated film of 1994, has grossed $854 million, according to figures provided by the Broadway League. The show put the figure slightly lower—at $853.8 million—but both numbers were higher than the $853 million grossed by "Phantom."

The stage version of "The Lion King" opened in November 1997, almost a decade after the January 1988 opening of "Phantom," which is the longest-running show in Broadway history.