Last night my family and I had the absolute pleasure to attend one of the most spectacular musical events I have ever seen, Disney’s The Lion King. The audience’s imagination is captured in the first five minutes with what has to be one of the most magical entrances ever conceived. The actors’ portrayal of the animals, with their sense of majesty and awe, makes the viewer forget these are human beings, and suddenly the audience is transported to an African Savannah.
In truth, I was initially concerned that I would be watching just a repeat of the movie, although I was curious to see how human beings would try and create a world that could not exist on this Earth. But can now assure you that this performance provides wonder and amazement for the entire family that just cannot be duplicated by any movie or television show.
The show’s plot, scenes, and dialogue will be readily recognized by anyone who has seen the movie. However, watching it live provides an entirely new and exhilarating experience, as these amazingly gifted actors and actresses actually embody the creatures they portray, and perform the musical numbers and dance pieces with a passion and intensity not found in any cartoon.
There are many very funny scenes, as the characters delightfully chewed on everything short of the main curtain. Patrick Brown’s Scar is delightfully wicked, as bemused malevolence oozes out of his every pore. It’s often hard to tell where Drew Hirshfield’s delightful turn as Zazu departs from the script and moseys into improvisation, often breaking through the fourth wall and bringing the audience along with him on an uproarious ride. Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki is terrific, bringing a mix of heart and slapstick as the narrator. Ben Lipitz as Pumbaa and Nick Cordileone as Timon are practically indistinguishable from their movie counterparts, winning over the adults and children in the audience with their physical comedy and very well-timed humor.
The music was especially powerful and moving. Nia Holloway’s Nala brings an equal mix of power and grace with her Nala and Aaron Nelson’s Simba embodies the courage and energy indispensable to a young king. And Gerald Ramsey’s physical embodiment of Mufasa is as powerful as James Earl Jones’s portrayal. There was an especially touching father-son scene at the end of the first scene, one that saw fathers throughout the audience reaching over and placing their arms behind their children.
My family is notoriously hard to please, but every time I glanced over at my child and my skeptic husband, their expressions alternated between heartfelt laughter and open-mouthed awe. The closing number is simply awe inspiring and the final drum note brought everyone resoundingly to their feet. It was simply an astounding performance and one that I heartily recommend for families and children (it is recommended that children be at least six years old to attend). My husband said the next day at work his coworkers were amused every time they found him singing “The Circle of Life” to himself all through the day.
THE LION KING will play Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00 pm and Sundays at 1:00 and 6:30 pm with one-weekday matinee on Thursday, May 5 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available at Altria Theater and Dominion Arts Center box offices, by calling ETIX at 1-800-514-3849 or via the Internet at www.BroadwayInRichmond.com. https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyOnBroadway
Aaron Nelson (Simba) Photo by Matthew Murphy
Nia Holloway as “Nala” Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.
Mukelisiwe Goba as “Rafiki” Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Patrick R. Brown as “Scar” Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
