The Lion King

The Lion King
Based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, along with the musical by Hans Zimmer and choral arrangements by Lebo M. Director: Julie Taymor. Capitol Theatre, Sydney. Opening Night: December 12, 2013.

If you’ve never seen The Lion King before, the artistry of many of the scenes on the plains of Africa will dazzle you, but those having a second bite might notice a few meows have crept in amidst the roars.

Most in the opening night audience were expecting the carnival of animals to descend on the stage for the famous introductory number Circle of Life, but it was still a thrill to be amongst the throng of wild beasts.

The elegance of the puppets, when the antelope bounced amidst the mobile grasslands, or menace when a herd of buffalo go on a rampage, combined with the sweet music of mother Africa, remained the highlight of the production.

But since it opened on Broadway in 1997 and went on to conquer the musical theatre world, there have been many developments in puppetry which no longer make The Lion King quite the sensation is was then.

Some of the scene changes now also feel on the slow side.

And the melting pot of cast sporting South African, New Zealand, Australian and American accents did not always gel.

But let’s focus on the positive.

Buyi Zama as Rafiki sets a thrilling tone; with her native South African roots she brought a real sense of excitement to the opening.

Rob Collins was elegant as Mufasa and Josh Quong Tart always menacing as his evil brother Scar, whilst the ‘clowns’ Cameron Goodall as the bird Zazu, Jamie McGregor as the meerkat Timon and Russell Dykstra as the warthog Pumbaa never missed a gag.

But the stand out for stage charisma was Nick Afoa as the grown up Simba.

Plucked from obscurity as a rugby-playing crooner, his casting was a gamble which paid off handsomely. He sang beautifully and bounced across the stage like spring, with the drama of the moment infused into every sinew of his ample frame.

Mr Disney why don’t you have his image on your posters around town instead of the out-of-town lead depicted on them at the moment?

Seeing The Lion King once is a must for every musical theatre buff, but they need a reason to see it a second time.

David Spicer

Images: Giraffes and Cheetah. Photograph by Joan Marcus ©Disney & Buyi Zama as Rafiki – Circle of Life. Photograph by Deen van Meer ©Disney.

Earlier Coverage

The Roar of the Lion

Lion King Cast announced.

The Lion King Returns to Sydney

 

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.