I was fortunate enough to attend a showing of “The Lion King” on Broadway last November. I’ve always wanted to go ever since the musical toured in Australia 10 years ago, and the production didn't disappoint. The acting was impeccable and the set design and carefully crafted costumes were a sight to see in themselves. I saw the musical at the Minskof theatre in the heart of Times Square in New York. I was captivated from the opening sequence, a parade colourful and vibrant of animals singing to ‘The Circle of Life’. A soon as they started singing all the memories from the Walt Disney classic The Lion King came flooding back.
The musical stays true to the film storyline, following the
lion prince Simba’s journey into adulthood. After Scar murders his brother King Mufasa in
order to usurp the throne, Simba is exiled away from the kingdom. He befriends
Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat and grows up in the jungle. After
visited by the spirit of his father, he begins his quest to reclaim the throne.
The musical tell this story with the aid of the films original songs by Elton
John, Tim Rice, and Hans Zimmer.
Turning a two-dimensional animated film into a musical, with humans playing animals is a daunting task, however, The Lion King production have done it successfully with the aid of their amazing costumes and its casts energetic and passionate performances.
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| Opening sequence "Circle of Life" |
This musical fits every age group, just looking around the
theatre I could see a wide range of ages from little children to adults, and
given that almost the entire audience gave the show a standing ovation, its
safe to say it was thoroughly enjoyed. The show is currently touring Australia
again, after its debut in 2003, and can be seen at Sydney’s capitol theatre.
Rating:
4.5/5
Trailer:
Swatika Suresh
