The choral arrangements of Lebo M (like the iconic opening Zulu singing) take a more prominent role in the stage production with Rafiki (Buyi Zama reprising her role on Broadway) recast as one of the show’s few key female roles. And as Simba wrestles with his identity in “He Lives in You,” hidden dancers form an awe-inspiring Mufasa mask in the sky that makes Rafiki’s magic come alive. Just as the psychedelic animation of jungle animals propels “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” in the film, the introduction of brightly colored plush animal costumes on stage gives that number a more playful feel than anything else in the show. The soundtrack from Elton John and Tim Rice rivaled the best Broadway shows of that decade, and the best moments from the adaptation are the showstopper hits from the film: the iconic introduction of Simba during “Circle of Life,” the hilarious interplay between Simba and Zazu during “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and the classic Timba/Pumba duet “Hakuna Matata.”īut that’s as much due to the beauty of the ensemble’s costuming and puppetry as it is to the strong vocals of the main cast. The animated Disney movies of the late 20th Century borrowed heavily from the stage musical in their structure. That a ’90s kids movie would translate into a Broadway smash shouldn’t have been surprising. Before I saw the theatrical production for the first time Thursday night, I was a little skeptical of how that same feeling could be captured by humans in costumes and puppets, despite the hype the musical has enjoyed for two decades since its 1997 debut in Minneapolis.īut the spectacle of actors portraying the creatures of the savannah-marching down the aisles, swirling poles with cloth birds fluttering, manipulating giant elephant puppets, giving a cheetah the natural grace the animal is due, even bring the plants of the jungle to life-is breathtaking.
When I got home a couple of weeks later and saw it in the theater, I couldn’t believe how well the animators captured the feeling of being on the plains of Kenya or Tanzania and watching a family of elephants silhouetted by a sunset or giraffes gracefully gliding across the horizon.
I was in East Africa when The Lion King was released in 1994.
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