The Lion King: Still an unparalleled theatrical achievement
MANILA, Philippines — It’s been eons since we first caught The Lion King, the hottest ticket on Broadway when it opened in 1997 and helped New York City’s Times Square morph from a red-light district into a family-friendly destination.
Based on the 1994 Academy Award-winning Disney animated film, The Lion King blew us away with its breath-taking creativity, particularly the innovative puppetry which was considered cutting edge at the time. Easily, it became one of our most favorite musicals of all time along with Miss Saigon, Into The Woods, Beautiful, Rock of Ages and Mamma Mia.
We were over the moon when we got the chance to revisit the kingdom of Simba, this time at The Theatre in Solaire. It’s quite impressive that the production in Manila — the initial stop of the first international tour for this popular Disney musical — manages to duplicate the visual brilliance and enduring appeal of its Broadway version.
The Theatre is virtually turned into an African savanna with puppet-like animal figures prancing on stage, visibly manipulated by actors/puppeteers a la Japanese Bunraku. These puppets move and dance so gracefully you forget you’re watching humans in motion. Personally, we couldn’t take our eyes off the cheetahs and giraffes who exude with so much elegance despite what appears to be complex puppetry operation.
The spectacle kicks off right away as the show opens with a grand parade of massive elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras and other imposing safari creatures to the tune of Circle of Life. Coming from all corners of the theater, they walk down the aisle toward the stage to the amazement of audiences of all ages ogling at the colorful and detailed Tony-winning costumes and make up, as well as the Tony-winning scenic set design celebrating African culture, art and music.
Compared to, let’s say, Miss Saigon or Les Miserablés, The Lion King’s plot is somewhat thin. It follows the saga of the lion cub Simba who lost his father, King Mufasa, to a murderous uncle, Scar, who installed himself as king. Simba goes into exile believing he caused his father’s death. He would later come back as an adult Simba to reclaim the throne and save the kingdom from famine.
But when you’re treated to over two hours of visual feast and heart-warming fun, who cares about the plot? Not even the Tonys was bothered when it bestowed the show six awards including the 1998 Best Musical, and Best Director for Julie Taymor.
The acting and singing, likewise, are superb led by Anthony Lawrence, who plays Scar, Calvin Grandling as Simba, Noxolo Dlamini as Nala, Ntsepa Pitjeng as Rafiki, and Mthokozisi Emkay Khanyile as Mufasa. Even the three hyena henchmen stand out for being devilishly hilarious.
The Lion King’s magical appeal is sealed by the music of Elton John and Tim Rice. Can You Feel The Love Tonight, named Best Original Song at the 1995 Academy Awards, stays hauntingly beautiful, as well as the other tracks like Be Prepared, I Just Can’t Wait To Be King and the two other Oscar-nominated cuts Circle of Life and our favorite Hakuna Matata.
The musical’s artistic excellence, not to mention its universal and timeless appeal, stays unparalleled. Too bad the Manila run must end on May 27 before heading to Singapore and other Asian cities. But you can still catch the remaining performances at Solaire by visiting TicketWorld.com.ph.
- Latest
- Trending