That is to say I think I just figured out why I LOVED The Lion King so much. It was more than a fantastic show. As promised, here’s more of my review of the show.

If you’ve been reading anything of mine you know I’m a bit of a balance freak. I like balance. When I started my series of shared tips it bore the name “Simple Balance.” Yeah, I’m a freak that way. Well, guess what this musical has? You guessed it, loads and loads of balance!

Before you go thinking I’ve completely lost my marbles…which is always a possibility…let me expound. I’ve been in theatre and as a theatre lover I’ve seen several shows in various places. One of the great challenges drama teachers and producers face is finding shows and productions that provide equal opportunity and as much of it as possible to those interested. Specifically, female roles can be hard to come by. In high school we did one major musical each year and a couple other smaller productions in each trimester. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was done my sophomore year and it was probably the best in those years for balanced roles and opportunities. The next year it was Shenandoah and the year after that was Hello Dolly. Both of those only included about 3 female speaking parts/roles. It’s tough to be the supporting cast with only a few lead roles. And there always seem to be more women competing for roles than men, at least in my experience. But The Lion King broke all the rules and barriers.

I couldn’t get over how immediately interactive the show began. I don’t know how the show is done off Broadway because I don’t know how much they can do with the stage by comparison. But the show starts with actors in the audience singing the opening song and by the end of the song other actors are coming down the audience isles dressed as animals. To bring the show so closely to the audience and right from the start was an amazing experience for me. This happened again a couple more times during the show. It wasn’t just watching the show on stage it was experiencing it in the theatre…see that? Balance. I did want to know if anyone had been hit by a flying bird in the audience because they sure got them swinging low a few times! Even though I’d seen a documentary showing the making of the costumes, I wasn’t prepared for the originality, creativity, color and unbelievable experience of actually seeing them work. Amazing, simply amazing.

The talent shown by the actors and dancers was phenomenal. Several cast played multiple roles including everything from part of the scenery to animals and other ambient visuals and sounds. Increasing their exposure time on stage, talent, and showmanship as well as making each one an integral part of the set, cast and crew. One person couldn’t be missing from the chorus and supporting roles without being noticed because each one carried a big part of the production. In fact, one missing person and there’d be a giant hole. Balance.

Even the leading roles are broken down into such near equal portions that one doesn’t stand out over another. There are different ages played by different people, new characters phased in and beginning characters phased out, etc. The musical even carries near equal portions of songs for each character. It is a show that can be enjoyed by so many people - kids, adults, male, female, dancers, singers, actors….even those who aren’t sure they’re really hip on theatre. It really is an amazing experience.

Now beyond all my dissecting the heck out of this show I just have to say, if you haven’t seen this show on Broadway you really must! It is in a league all its own. And now after all these years I finally understand what all the hype is about!

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