By Abby Lass
Disney’s The Lion King is the highest grossing musical in history, and it’s not hard to see why. While the show doesn’t exactly have the macabre sex appeal of Chicago or the hitting social challenges of Witness Uganda, the show is still a thrilling experience for the audience.
The story closely follows its animated inspiration, with the addition of a few new songs such as “They Live in You” and “One by One”, which are two of the best numbers in the show. However, not all new songs were so successful; “Chow Down” seemed like a loud and overbearing homage to Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.
Fan favorite songs are milked for everything they’re worth, giving the seven year old in you everything he or she could have wanted and more (despite an odd and incredibly apparent lack of legitimate singing from Scar in “Be Prepared”).
The Lion King, which has been running for nearly eighteen years on Broadway, has kept itself updated, throwing in a clever Frozen reference as well as anticipating the audience’s reaction (as Scar puts it: “Anything but that!”).
Though many seasoned performers took the stage– some on their second or third tour– the true power in this show lies not with the leads (though Tshidi Manye’s Rafiki, Jelani Remy’s Nala, and Drew Hirshfield’s Zazu are sensational standouts), but with the grace and elegance of the ensemble performers.
Through becoming the grass, the animals that eat it, and everything else you can image, these incredible actors bring life and joy to this show, catapulting it beyond belief and giving true meaning to the symbiotic relationship Mufasa works so hard to impress upon his son.
In addition to the timeless songs, what makes this show unlike any other is the visuals; puppets and masks that seamlessly blend human and animal form, a stampede of wildebeests, shadow puppets, Mufasa’s spirit in the sky coming to the aid of a confused Simba, these breathtaking elements are why this show has earned its place in history.
This show is not for everyone (for better or worse, it reeks of Disney magic), but if you do choose to go, I guarantee you will never see anything like it.
The Lion King has closed at the Boston Opera House, but if you’re ever in New York, take a look. It’ll be playing for a long, long time.
