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.”
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.
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.
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.
One of the true highlights of Disney’s “The Lion King” is its stunning opening number: “The Circle of Life.” From Rafiki’s first “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba” with the rising sun to the processional down the aisles of the theatre, “The Circle of Life” truly sets the tone of the show: its colors, its languages, and the innovative puppetry and costuming that brings the story alive on stage.
In my interview with ensemble member Mpume Sikakane, who has stepped into the role of Rafiki throughout her career, she spoke about the reactions of the audience during “The Circle of Life.”
“It draws attention from the adults and the kids,” Sikakane said. “When you first open the curtain and you are a principal role that day, you see the audience. You see the kids. It’s amazing, mama. I love it.”
While there were children of different ages at Friday’s performance, including my daughter, Disney’s “The Lion King” has a special quality of being both appropriate and enjoyable for all audiences. Children will love the silly characters, familiar songs, and bright colors; adults will enjoy the beauty of the dance interludes, the dry savanna humor, and trying to figure out how the lions’ masks move with a sweep of the actors’ necks. This behind-the-scenes video helps to understand the mechanics of the different puppets.
To my daughter’s dismay, my favorite performance and character of this production was Mark Campbell as the villainous uncle Scar. Campbell’s Scar is deliciously devilish, with a sort of Jack Sparrow swagger and voice to match. In visiting Campbell’s Instagram page, there are many examples that show how much of a roaring good time he is having in his role offstage, giving Scar his own Instagram persona:
Another standout performance is Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa, particularly with his take on the hauntingly beautiful “They Live in You.” Ramsey strikes the right balance between playing the larger-than-life king of the Pride Lands and a doting father wrestling around in the grass.
Greg Jackson is hilarious as the uptight hornbill Zazu, embodying his character in both his own movements and his master puppetry. Jackson’s Zazu brings much comedy to the show, particularly in his interactions with Scar and Mufasa.
Learn more about how Zazu is brought to life:
Zazu is our major domo with some major attitude. Watch how he’s brought to life on stage. pic.twitter.com/HWG3U4qKGx
— The Lion King (@TheLionKing) June 30, 2017
Another source of comic relief are the scraggly hyenas Shenzi (Martina Sykes), Banzai (Keith Bennett), and Ed (Rob Sapp in Friday’s performance). And as in the movie, the characters of Timon and Pumbaa (Tony Freeman and William John Austin in Friday’s performance) also bring a welcome dose of potty humor and sarcastic comedy to engage both the kids and the adults in the audience.
We first meet the grown up Simba, played by a vibrant Jared Dixon, at the end of Act One in the crowd favorite “Hakuna Matata.” Dixon embodies the fractured innocence of Simba as he struggles with the ghosts of his past and how to reclaim his future.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGAjSJDjWs/?taken-by=itsjdixon
As Simba’s mother Sarabi, Ashley Ware Jenkins is stoic in the face of the story’s tragic moments, and moves with elegance in “The Lioness Hunt.” Nia Holloway also shows fierce girl power in the role of Nala, particularly as she fights off the creepy advances of Scar; this scene felt especially important in considering today’s social climate. Holloway’s performance of the emotional “Shadowland,” as Nala prepares to leave Pride Rock in search of help, brought some of the loudest applause of the night.
As their junior counterparts, Danielle W. Jalade and Salahedin Safi as Young Nala and Young Simba bring a fun and youthful energy to their roles. They hold their own on a stage filled with large puppets and set pieces.
Perhaps the most important character of Disney’s “The Lion King” is the mandrill Rafiki, played by Mukelisiwe Goba in the North American tour. Even in moments not sung or spoken in English (“The Lion King” features several languages, including Zulu, Xhosa and Swahili), Goba’s physical performance evokes the range of Rafiki’s emotions, from sad to mischievous to celebratory. She is the compass for Simba, pointing him in the right direction and knocking sense into him – literally.
The talented ensemble cast — whether dancing in vibrant costumes, bringing birds and hyenas to life, or filling the theatre with a swell of beautiful music — adds many layers to the production. And speaking of the music, the audience gets a unique view of the show’s percussionists on each side of the stage; I enjoyed watching as they seamlessly moved from a rainstick to chimes to bongos.
The show has a few 21st-century updates sprinkled throughout, with jokes about Twitter and Target and some other surprises I won’t spoil here. And did I spot Young Simba and Young Nala briefly doing The Floss Dance before “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”?
But ultimately, it is the lessons of loss, family, and embracing what’s inside that have helped Disney’s “The Lion King” continue to touch audiences across the world. The show speaks of generations, and helps to create new memories for families sharing this theatre experience together.
I loved watching the wonder in my daughter’s face. It was like looking back in time and seeing my reflection in hers.
Take your loved ones to see Disney’s “The Lion King,” and “be prepared” to be amazed.
See Disney’s “The Lion King” at the Wharton Center now through July 29. Click here for information about the show and how to get tickets.
A couple of tips for patrons and parents:
- Make sure you are seated with plenty of time before the performance. The glorious “The Circle of Life” opening includes performers and puppets descending the Wharton Center aisles, and therefore those who arrive late will be held for 15 minutes of the show. There are additional moments throughout the show where seating might be held, so try not to chance it by getting up in the middle of the show.
- Booster seats are available at the Patron Service Desk at Wharton Center, which is located across from the gift shop near the ticket office. I made sure to arrive early so that I could make sure I got one for my daughter. All I needed to do was leave my driver’s license with the desk, and it was very easy to return the seat at the end of the show.