Last night’s excursion to Too-lee-doo was full of thrills, chills and did I mention I saw The Lion King? Getting there and enjoying the breathtaking splendor of live theatre was great, getting back was another story entirely. I will concentrate on the show and leave the adventure getting home for another time.
As I noted in a previous blog, the stage production of Lion King includes several songs which were not in the movie. Some of these include: Morning Report, Endless Night, and Shadowland. My favorite new song has always been Endless Night. It is sung by Simba in Act II. It is a beautiful soliloquy in which the lion struggles to decide whether or not to return to the Pride Lands and fight for the throne which is rightfully his or stay and remain hidden in his new life of Hakuna Matata.
Aside from the new songs, everything about seeing the masterpiece on stage is brilliant The puppetry used to personify several characters (towering giraffes, leopards, antelope, and countless other animals) must have taken hours to design and be implemented. The choreography is stunning. Perhaps even more spectacular is the use of African-style chant to enhance the atmosphere. My companions and I were curious as to the English translation for the lyrics. Also of interest was the number of African natives who made up members of the cast. Surely some degree of pride must be felt among them as they sing words native to their homeland.
I would HIGHLY recommend taking the entire family to see this excellent production. One or two of the scenes may be a bit intense for the very young; however, if they have ever seen the movie , it is no more intense than what is seen in it. There were several children in the audience (perhaps no younger than 5) with looks of utter awe and wonder. It is a great way to introduce the whole family to the spectacular world of live theatre..
wanted to see it – probably won’t have the time, though… Think Dis is too little anyway. Glad you enjoyed it! When does it play thru?
It runs through the 29th. I would say Dis is still a bit young (especially for the $60 price tag). But it was so great!
Translation? It wasn’t in English? I would be interesting to see how a stage production of this is done. I’ve only seen the movie myself.
A few of the songs were African chant which was quite interesting. Gave the show more of an African tone but the remainder was in English. The transition from screen to stage is better seen than to describe. Julie Taymor (director) actually wrote a coffee-table book on the process “The Lion King: Pride Rock on Broadway.”
It used to be around here several years ago, but I kind of ignored it. I have always been more into acting rather than viewing theatre. It does make sense to use some African chant seeing as it’s set in Africa. Maybe one day I will see it.
Same here Derek…. every time I sit in an audience I feel drawn to the stage and pick out the character I picture myself as….Pumba (flatulence and all).