"Astonishing," "spectacular," and "incredible!" are three words that came to my mind the first time I went to see this musical. It was like nothing that I have ever witnessed in a musical. Different is truly another word that comes to mind. As a childhood film I expected a great deal about how anyone would be able to manage putting a film starring non-humans characters on stage especially since they are also animated, however I can certainly say that my expectation was definitely met on the occasion. As my eyes grew wide from the moment the curtain was opened, witnessing the colourful lights, the breath taking costumes and the fantastic music I was trapped in a wonderful magical moment from the first scene. From the moment the curtain were opened and the actors with their puppets started to make their way down the aisle of the theatre, I knew that the lion King was going to be a beautiful visual show.
Although the Lion King was largely created for children, I can definitely say that the musical unquestionably makes it one of the most remarkable displays of an elaborate musical production that I ever had the chance to see.
The story is about a young Simba who gets blamed for his father’s death by his wicked uncle Scar who also manage to convince the young lion that he must go into exile. Whilst in exile, Simba is befriended by a Merrkat (Timon) and a warthog (Pumbaa) and grows into adulthood free of responsibilities. Coincidentally Simba stumbles upon His childhood friend Nala who was trying to attack Timon and Pumbaa. Nala informs Simba that Scar is ruining Pride Land, leaving Simba to decide whether to keep his distance or confront his fears and his uncle. In the hunt for answers Simba finds his father’s image in the sky and returns to Pride land to recapture his thrown as king.
Whilst in a confrontation with Simba, scar tells everyone that he in fact was the perpetrator in Mufasa’s death leading to a bloody battle with the hyenas and the lionesses, where scar dishonestly tells Simba that the hyenas are to be blamed for everything. Hearing this deceit the Hyenas change their loyalties towards Scar and kills him. Simba redeems Pride Rock and the circle of life begins once more.
Visual elements and costumes are vital for a musical and to me but with The Lion King, they had to be that something special as it is a timeless classic childhood movie. The set in the musical stables the locations whilst on stage as there is a great deal of settings, it also shows the link from the movie itself e.g. Rafikki’s tree. The set and props worked splendidly, as everywhere on stage held the ingredient of enchantment needed and the immaculate design worked perfectly with the lighting. The visual success relied heavily on its use of masks and costumes to make the production a complete musical.
The pop sound of