The Lion King

By Jacqueline Gonzalez

Course: LHU 303, Women in Film

I entered the theatre and took my seat as an adult. However, when this Broadway version of The Lion King started, I realized that I was no longer an adult. I became a child, mesmerized by the magic that was taking place all around me: a vibrant, colorful circle of life and death. The costumes, the animals, the puppetry, the music were all so awe-inspiring that, for ten minutes, I totally forgot that I was seated in a theatre instead of somewhere in the Garden of Eden. It was Paradise! That is exactly what came to mind as I tried to describe this production of The Lion King to my family.

The opening of the show was the most amazing part. I particularly liked the way Rafiki sang as all of the characters came dancing down the aisles with big smiles on their faces, on their way to the stage. The way they danced the traditional African dances on stage was beautiful and breathtaking. I loved how Rafiki pulled stories out of the baobab tree, as she asked the spirits to bring forth the new prince’s name. It was as though the tree had a story to tell all on its own. Rafiki’s opening of the show just made it all the more interesting, and I felt anxious to see what was going to follow.

Furthermore, I loved when Simba and his father, King Mufasa, talked. The lessons that his father would try to teach him were like reminders that no matter what station in life we are in, we should never lose touch with our humanity. It’s possible to lead and remain just and fair, and that being good is not a sign of weakness. It was quite a lesson to be learned for young Simba, who got himself into a bit of a mess and nearly lost his life. As all good fathers do, King Mufasa came to the rescue, even though he had warned Simba not to go to a particular place.

Every good plot has a good villain, and The Lion King is no exception. Uncle Scar was full of jealousy and guided Simba into things that could get him killed because he wanted the throne. He murdered his own brother and convinced Simba that he was responsible for his father’s death, causing Simba to go into exile. Scar was an amazingly convincing character. He was a reminder that in life people will do whatever it takes to get whatever they want; in fact, shady characters are a part of real life, and ugliness does exist.

In Act II, the chorus was dressed in colorful clothes with ornate bird puppets and kites. Everything was lively and beautiful one moment, then dreary and sad the next. I felt that this scene was another reminder of the circle of life and death. As the song ended, the beautiful birds went away and in their place were vultures and gazelle skeletons. Drought had come to the land under Scar’s rule. My favorite scene in this act was when Simba meets Rafiki, who explained that King Mufasa lived on in him. Simba looked up toward the sky, and his father appeared as a heavenly vision, in what appeared to be an astral mask among the stars. Mufasa reminded Simba that he was the rightful king, and Simba headed back Pride Rock to claim his throne.

The special effects of this stage presentation were outstanding; they were the best special effects I have ever seen in a Broadway production. The scene of Mufasa appearing in the sky was a “Wow” moment, the icing on the cake. All I could say after seeing that was, “Disney married Broadway, and they gave birth to one glorious child!”