Theatre in another dimension. Creative, unique, elegant,
artistic, inventive would be a lot of understated adjectives when
trying to describe
“The Lion King.” The line “pushing the envelope” must have been
created for “The Lion King.”
Theatre in another dimension.
Creative, unique, elegant, artistic, inventive would be a lot of understated adjectives when trying to describe “The Lion King.” The line “pushing the envelope” must have been created for “The Lion King.”
Here is theatre as has not been seen before; here is a production where the star is the director, who uses her abilities to bring to the stage an experience that unfolds as a story most of us are familiar with and are mesmerized with, the out-of-the-box imagination used to bring this spectacular to the stage.
Julie Taymor’s genius direction, costume designing, mask/puppet co-designer and composer of additional music and lyrics spills over this production as combinations of exquisite movable African masks to Shadow and Bunraku-style puppets to colorful costumes and sets catch the audience up in mind-spinning wonderment. The stage undulates to give the feeling of space and time, the creatures become real as the actors blend their masks or puppets with an openness for all to see.
The plot becomes a secondary event and can become a little trying if you are under ten, but the continuous dazzling events on stage make up for a lag here and there.
Definitely a smaller scale production than the New York presentation with a cast that has very large shoes to fill but the energy and effort is there without the edge of Broadway.
Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata” and Oscar winner, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” are familiar pieces from the movie but it’s the African chants and songs added to the stage version by Lebo M and Mark Mancina that mesmerize as a mantra, and Garth Fagan’s choreography sets the mood throughout the performance. Taymor along with Michael Curry, created hundreds of masks and puppets with a sensitivity that gave the characters believability.
The opening is almost a spiritual experience when the animals of the Savannah make their way down the aisles of the theatre towards the stage to the African chant announcing the birth of the baby lion to the lion king. Keep in mind that punctuality for this performance is a must. No one will be seated during the entrance of the animals and it is one of the many highlights of the show.
“The Lion King” won six Tony Awards including Best Musical. Julie Taymor was the first woman in Broadway history to win the Tony for Best Director of a musical. It is in its seventh sold-out year in New York.
“The Lion King” is an evening of watching the offering of pure genius at work and once it’s gone, there will never be anything like it again.
Camille Bounds is the arts and entertainment editor for the western division of Sunrise Publicastions.
