MM Theater Blog

When asked why I prefer theater over movies, my usual response is that there is magic in a theatrical experience which just cannot be achieved in a film. Disney's The Lion King directed by the very talented Julie Taymor is just such a magical experience! Yes, the film was wonderful. But the theatrical experience is beyond description.

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From the very first bars of the opening number (Circle of Life), we are transported to another world; a world that exists inside our imagination. The sunrise on the African plain is breathtaking -- a huge sun comprised of numerous pieces of shimmering fabric, set against a multicolored backdrop. Julie Taymor's ingenius costumes, masks, and puppets (Michael Curry is also credited for mask and puppet design) capture the essence of animals on the African plain. The actors are not trying to impersonate animals, as in the play Cats. They embody each character, with the aid of costumes, masks, and body movements which are suggestive in nature. We fill in the details with our imagination.

The stampede is a perfect example of theatrical ingenuity -- successively bigger waves of animals roll toward us, which gives the impression of animals approaching closer and closer. Combined with music, it is a thrilling moment.

Elton John's music with Tim Rice's lyrics are magical, and all the more enjoyable since they became so well known after the very popular film. Several musical numbers have been added to the Broadway production which are beautiful, giving the music a much greater African sensibility (additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer). All of this helps to flesh out the play, so that it is much more than a cartoon on stage.

Of course this is still Disney, and those wonderful charcters Timon and Pumbaa are absolutely delightful. They add comic relief after a very dramatic moment in the play. They are very skillfully played by Danny Rutigliano and Tom Alan Robbins respectively, and are even funnier than their cartoon counterparts, flatulence humor notwithstanding. The costumes for these characters are more like 3 dimensional puppet-cartoons than the other animal costumes in the play, which are simultaneously more realistic and more suggestive. The larger than life purple warthog costume that extends in front and back of the actor is brilliant. The actor who plays Timon, dressed in green, becomes the background to the orange meercat, with his orange tail protruding behind. Also worth mentioning are the hyenas -- the acting and costumes are simultaneously very dark and also very comedic.

All of the actors are first rate, with fine singing voices. Of particular note are Nathanial Stampley (Mufasa), Tshidi Manye (Rafiki), Shavar McIntosh (Young Simba), Halle Vargas Sullivan (Young Nala), and Selloane A. Nkhela, who understudied for Nala in the performance I saw. (Different actors alternate for Young Simba and Young Nala on different days.)

All in all, The Lion King is stunning -- one of the most memorable theatrical experiences in recent memory. If you haven't already seen it, what are you waiting for?

MM Rating - * * * * *