Hollywood Reporter
October 20th 2000
Pantages Theatre, Hollywood
Through June 30
By JAY REINER
For a moment, let's pretend that you and I and everyone else in this cockeyed world have never heard of "The Lion King" before today. Our minds and sensibilities are unsullied and untouched, pristine and pure. Innocent.
Never heard of the blockbuster film by Disney that preceded the show; never heard of the 25 major awards the show has won; never heard of Julie Taymor's visionary direction or her and Michael Curry's spectacular puppet and mask design; never heard Tim Rice and Elton John's (and several others) Grammy-winning album; never heard or read a single one of the 10 gazillion words spilled and splashed on the show's behalf.
Given this unlikely scenario, what do we have before us in "Lion King"? How about as stunning a piece of visual poetry and storytelling art as you're ever likely to see on stage -- and that's just for starters. Here, at long last, is a show that manages to outrun its hype. "Lion King" is better than promised.
Start with the song "Circle of Life," which opens the show. As a gorgeous, golden African sun rises over the stage, the animals appear from every direction. They come plodding, preening, prancing and gliding down the aisles and from the wings, each one -- leaping gazelles, a lumbering elephant, spindly and stilt-legged giraffes, an elegantly elongated cheetah, prideful lions and many more -- a creative marvel of its own kind. They've come to celebrate the birth of Simba (Adrian Diamond), while proud parents Mufasa and Sarabi (Rufus Bonds Jr. and Marvette Williams) look on from high on Pride Rock.
This beautiful scene proclaims the show perfectly. Astonishment will be our passport to the evening, a simple universal tale will be told, the mysterious connection between all living things is stirring in the air, and ruling the evening will be Taymor's style and imagination, lion kings in their own right in this production.
This opening scene is one of several to tap into deeper levels of wonder. Another is the great wildebeest stampede that costs Mufasa his life, sends the young Simba into exile from his rightful kingdom and puts the villainous Scar (the superb John Vickery, who created the role on Broadway) on the throne instead. The sheer ingenuity and thrilling effect of this stampede, like every other part of this show, put the film to shame. One of the most satisfying pleasures of "Lion King" is that it illustrates the uniqueness of live theater, and one could argue that there's a spillover effect here extending beyond the spectacle.
Another memorable scene is the powerful transformation Simba (Clifton Oliver) undergoes when Rafiki (the entrancing Fuschia, the shaman baboon, leads him into the jungle, presumably in search of his father. Simba has a mystical experience artfully captured in visual terms, and the scene also provides the occasion for two of the best songs in the show, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "He Lives in You."
As wondrous as these three grand scenes are, the show also is a cavalcade of small wonders: the skimming, swooping birds that fill the air at the end of long poles; the miniature shadow puppet shows that tickle the eye; the wavy green grass of the African savannah presented in the form of delightful headdresses and skirts; and the firefly display, tiny polka dots of light in flight.
Disney has always excelled at comic characters, and "Lion King" has two of the best in smelly wart hog Pumbaa and wisecracking meerkat Timon (Bob Bouchard and Danny Rutigliano). William Akey's Zazu, the king's faithful bird, is another fine comic performance. The three crazed hyenas of Price Waldman, Jeffrey Polk and Carla Renata Williams are also done to a turn. Along with Vickery's Scar, Moe Daniels' Nala is another standout. She sings an affecting "Shadowland."
The embarrassment of riches goes on and on. Never mind what you may heard about this show. It's even better.
THE LION KING
Presented by Disney
Director: Julie Taymor
Music and lyrics: Elton John, Tim Rice
Additional music and lyrics: : Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, Hans Zimmer
Book: Roger Allers, Irene Mecchi
Adapted from screenplay by: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton
Choreography: Garth Fagan
Scenic design: Richard Hudson
Costumes: Julie Taymor
Lighting: Donald Holder
Mask and puppet design: Julie Taymor, MIchael Curry
Sound: Steve C. Kennedy
Hair and makeup: Michael Ward
Technical director: John Tiggeloven
Musical supervisor: Joseph Church
Musical director: Colin Welford
Cast:
Mufasa: Rufus Bonds Jr.
Scar: John Vickery
Simba: Clifton Oliver
Rafiki: Fuschia
Zazu: William Akey
Nala: Moe Daniels
Timon: Danny Rutigliano
Pumbaa: Bob Bouchard
Young Simba: Adrian Diamond
Young Nala: Jazmn