BAM Column: “The Lion King” musical worthy of mighty praise, repeat viewing
Left: Timothy Carter as Scar, left, and Dionne Randolph as Mufasa face off in “The Lion King” national tour, which is playing in Oklahoma City through May 24.
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Lion King’ deserves roar of applause
On stage: A second viewing of this nationally touring production was just as captivating as seeing it the first time
When the giant elephant powered by four actors lumbered up the aisle of the Civic Center Music Hall to the stage, I knew my second trip to “The Lion King” would be just as captivating as the first.
The Tony Award-winning musical’s first run in Oklahoma City continues through March 24, and missing it would be an elephantine mistake.
My mom, sister and I recently made a girls’ night out of attending one of the stunning performances here in Oklahoma City. It was my second time to see the Julie Taymor’s awe-inspiring adaptation of Disney’s 1994 animated film. My mother-in-law treated my family to tickets to the national touring production when it stopped in Tulsa three years ago.
My first viewing of the show will always have special significance, and not only because the inventive stage and costume design dazzle. I was pregnant with my younger son, Gabe, at the time, and I first felt him move when Rafiki the baboon hit the first high notes of the opening song “Circle of Life.”
Major moments in motherhood notwithstanding, I found “The Lion King” still satisfies with repeat viewing. The assembling of animals in the opener still evoked a childlike wonder in me the second time around.
For those not familiar with Taymor’s inventive approach to the musical, it uses elaborate costumes and puppets to transform the actors into lions, hyenas and zebras. Puppeteers swing bird kites high overhead; an actress wears a cheetah costume around her hips, her back legs serving as the cat’s hind feet; a performer with gazelle puppets lining her arms leaps gracefully across the stage.
When Rafiki the baboon (Phindile Mkhize) hoists the lion cub puppet of future king Simba at the end of “Circle of Life,” it’s virtually impossible not to clap and cheer.
Performers even play grass and plants in numbers like “Grasslands Chant” and the Oscar-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Seeing the actors through the costumes doesn’t diminish the enjoyment, rather sparking admiration for Taymor’s bravely unique vision.
The musical includes several additional songs and features a much more African sound and look to the story, giving the story an authentic sense of place.
As far as storytelling, “The Lion King” centers on young lion prince Simba, who is caught up in a plot by his wicked uncle Scar to wrest the throne from Simba’s father Mufasa. The story takes definite cues from “Hamlet,” and it remains one of Disney’s best animated films, especially of the pre-Pixar era.
Even if you’ve already seen it, it’s worth taking another trip around the “Circle of Life” with “The Lion King.”
Going on
“The Lion King”
When: Through May 24.
Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.
Information: (800) 869-1451 or www.celebrityattractions.com.
-BAM
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