Even though I have seen The Lion King many times (I saw it on Broadway less than a year ago), I don't think that I will ever get tired of it because it is absolutely magical! I don't think I've ever made it through "Circle of Life" without getting a tear in my eye. That baby elephant coming up the aisle gets me every time! I saw the touring company production last night and it ranks right up there with productions I've seen on Broadway and in London. I enjoyed every minute of it (tears and all). The stage musical tells the well-known story of how a lion cub learns how to be a king and it includes many of the songs from the animated classic as well as some new ones. I absolutely love the puppets and prosthetics used to represent the animals. After a while you don't even see the actors manipulating the puppets. My favorites are the giraffes and elephants. The staging is incredible and I especially love the traditional music used as Mufasa and Simba frolic on the grasslands, when Sarabi and the lionesses hunt an antelope, and the wildebeest stampede in the gorge. I was very impressed with the lead actors in this production and I had goosebumps when Mufasa (Gerald Ramsey) sang "They Live in You" and when Simba (Dashaun Young) sang "Endless Night." Nia Holloway (as Nala) sang my favorite song, "Shadowland," better than I've ever heard it before. I also really liked Rafiki (Buyi Zama) and her rendition of "He Lives in You (Reprise)." My favorite part of seeing The Lion King, as ever, is watching the wonder on the faces of the children as they see all of the animals and this production made me feel like I did the first time I saw it. It is just so magical! It will run at the Eccles Theatre until April 16 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend that you bring the children!
Note: I think I enjoyed this production more than the one on Broadway because the sound was better. I could actually hear Scar and the hyenas. I did, however, miss eating cheesecake at Junior's after the show!
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