Simba and fans!
I have always had a love/hate relationship with Disney musicals, but let’s give this one what it is due…..there’s a sense of divinity in this classic. Is it the rhino… the elephant baby, the plethora of herded animals…or what about the ballet of birds, the hideous hyenas….so much to sit and marvel! Disney went all the way in and with the ingenious use of costuming and a fabulous musical score, I kindly tip my safari hat to this one.
Watching the audience was, in itself, a treat. Children with mouths wide open as actors paraded a few times down the aisles. Adults laughing at the jokes keenly written for their pleasure. The ROAR of the crowd when that final curtain comes down, and you ‘feel the love tonight!’
‘Lion King‘ doesn’t sugar-coat the story either…as broadway can sometimes do. The heart-breaking circumstances that lead us through the ‘sibling rivalry’ of Scar and Mufasa; the desperation of needing to find purpose in Simba; and the undying support of Nala….what a VOICE! There are strong players throughout the production. Rafiki, Pumbaa and Timon delight the captive audience. Zazu flies in and out just enough to move the plot forward.
All that aside, take a minute and really watch what’s happening in this cavalcade…..the technology that makes it GOOOOOOO! Look to Scar’s mask, the lionesses’ choreography, the endless puppetry..It’s a GAS, just ask Pumbaa! During the show, a young girl sat directly in front of me. Her excitement was palpable. She believed what was on that stage…it was real. These characters, be they men, women or beast, were at the Schuster Center and they were ALIVE. Their story was important and needed to be heard….and she listened. As we made our way out, her grandmother asked ‘Well, what did you think?’ Her eyes, still large from the sights, ‘I’m so glad he got to be King! He’s a good lion.’
And there it is….in true Disney fashion…a reason to believe that all is well in the world. At least it is at the Schuster for a few more nights!!!
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