Reviewing - Broadway's The Lion King (1997)
You've never seen The Lion King quite like this.
It is currently 2019 – the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Lion King – and the year that Disney releases a photorealistic film adaptation of their animated classic. This remake stars some of the decade’s biggest stars (perhaps none more iconic than Beyonce), but it also retains the most significant voice of the original – James Earl Jones as Mufasa. In light of this milestone, I felt that it was finally time to write my review of the film to end all films. And what better way to do justice to this masterpiece than by reviewing not only the 1994 original, but the still-running 1997 Broadway musical and this new 2019 remake as well. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
I first saw this Broadway musical in high school with some friends of mine. Walking into the theatre, I was really intrigued to see how the show was going to pull everything off. There are so many iconic shots and moments in the original film, and I had a hard time envisioning how they planned on recreating the wildebeest stampede on one little stage or showing us the nuance of a moment like the one where Simba places his little pawprint in a massive print of his father’s. I knew that the characters were going to be portrayed by humans onstage, and wondered how they were going to retain the “lion-ness” of the original animation. Suffice to say, I was blown out of the water by the musical. Just like the film, the musical blows you away within the first minute by showing a rippling golden sun. The ripples in the original were to show the heat of the Serengeti, and they translate this on Broadway with a sun made up of dozens of thin horizontal lines of fabric. Brilliant. And then the animals come in. Straight down the aisles march all sorts of animals, none more memorable than the gargantuan marching elephant which still astounds me. Rafiki’s colourful outfit is nothing short of inimitable as she cries out the opening lines of the Zulu chant “Nants Ingonyama”. The marriage of vibrant African design and culture to the simple shapes and slopes of the Serengeti was a fantastic creative decision. Her presence is almost otherworldly but her confidence and heart keep her firmly rooted. The entire opening sequence is simply jaw-dropping.
The Masks
Julie Taymor directed the original Broadway production, and designed the costumes, masks, and puppets involved. The lion masks are so cool.When the lion actors stand around, the masks rest like crowns atop their heads. But when the actors lunge – like when Scar and Mufasa aggressively stare each other down in the scene following “Circle of Life” – the masks shift automatically down over their faces. If you haven’t seen the musical, this moment alone is almost worth the price of the ticket. They use these masks to great effect in other moments as well, like when the lionesses weep at Mufasa’s death by pulling blue strings of fabric from the mask’s eyes. Yet perhaps no mask moment is more masterful than the scene where Mufasa disciplines Simba under a starlit sky. As I sat in the theatre watching this scene, I wondered again how they planned on showing Simba fall within his father’s footstep. Instead, a different but equally powerful moment took place. As Mufasa prepares for ‘the talk’, he reaches up over his head and pulls off the mask. In this moment, the mask becomes a crown, and he sets it on the ground. Without a single word, we see that Mufasa is deciding to speak with Simba as a father instead of as a king. Like, wow! Beautiful! What I especially love about this is that this is a moment not found in the original film. It’s a beautiful symbol that adds to the original instead of simply replicating it.
The Puppets
The puppets are really neat as well. There are the standard puppets like the baby Simba or Zazu, who is handled at all times by an on-stage actor. There are the man-sized puppets that have actors either within them or around them, like the elephants, gazelles, or Timon. Then there are shadow puppets who show up once or twice. The differentiation is delightful as you see all the varied ways Taymor concocted to bring the animated film to life onstage. Aside from the elephant (which I don’t think I’ll get over), Pumbaa is probably the coolest puppet in the show. The actor pops out of the top of Pumbaa’s head, his own hair serving as the tuft on top of the warthog. He operates Pumbaa’s gaping mouth with effortless ease, even sticking out Pumbaa’s tongue at points for comedic effect. You’ve got to see it to believe it.
Set Design
The last thing I’ll say about the musical has to do with the set design. The stampede is incredible. With a few pieces of rapidly rotating fabric, a mechanical set of wildebeest, and some frenetic dancers with massive wildebeest masks, the stage transforms into the terrifying scene from the original film. All of this happens in a matter of moments – the efficiency with which they pull all this together is simply breathtaking. And if you think that’s impressive, just wait until you see how they manifest Mufasa’s ghost in the clouds. It’s positively mythical.
Just like the original, there are so many moments in the musical that capture the imagination and make you wonder how on earth they made it happen. It’s an artistic masterpiece that tells the same story with flair, power, and authoritative prowess. It’s so good that I found myself unable to decide whether I liked the original film or the musical better. I ultimately decided that it’s a nearly impossible task to make such a decision. Both have taken a different medium and used every facet of that medium to tell a beautiful story with astonishing skill. I’ll say this – I can’t imagine a single fan of the original film ever leaving the Broadway production disappointed. Julie Taymor certainly deserved the three Drama Desk awards and three Tony awards she won for putting all of this together. And hey, this musical is the highest grossing Broadway production of all time. Long live the King.
Want to know what I thought of the remake? Click here.
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