Review: Disney’s “The Lion King” still reigns supreme

It’s 1993. I’m watching the VHS of “Aladdin” at my childhood home, and as a 90s kid in the golden age of Disney movies, I was just as excited about the previews for what was to come. After “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin,” what could possibly follow? Enter “The Lion King.”

That’s when I first heard “The Circle of Life,” and I’ll never forget the feeling that swelled inside of me. It’s the same feeling I felt when I saw the film on the big screen in 1994.

And it’s the same feeling I felt over 20 years later when I saw Disney’s “The Lion King” on stage at the Wharton Center Friday night. I had my five-year-old daughter with me, attending her first Broadway show. Talk about the circle of life.

There’s even a special Snapchat filter for the show!

For the last two-plus decades, the Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Best Director, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design, and Best Costume Design has been leaving audiences spellbound across the world. The three-week engagement at the Wharton Center, running through July 29, marks the third time the show has been performed in East Lansing.

“Lionesses Dance” in THE LION KING North American Tour. ©Disney. Photo Credit: Deen van Meer.

The gorgeous set pieces, costumes, and music audiences remember and love — along with the addition of some new jokes — all make it clear why Disney’s “The Lion King” still reigns supreme. Continue reading “Review: Disney’s “The Lion King” still reigns supreme”