The three wicked hyenas (Tiffany Denise Hobbs, Keith Bennett, Robbie Swift) were the perfect trio, and played homage to the Disney movie. Prideful and murderous, Campbell makes you want to hate him.
One couldn’t help but loathe Scar (played by Mark Campbell) as he plots and wreaks havoc on Pride Rock. It was very enjoyable to watch and listen to him, and the puppet was just as much a character as the actor controlling it. This character is lots of fun, and much more comical than in the movie. Zazu (a red-billed hornbill who serves the king) was played and puppeted by Drew Hirshfield. Also, when Holloway and the lionesses sang their song “Shadowland” it was very powerful and made me really feel ‘woman power.’ (I may or may not have pumped my fist and told my husband, ‘that is how you do it.’) Good job women! You rock! When Young first comes onstage, he only has a couple of lines to sing, but he definitely ends Act 1 on a wonderful note (haha, see what I did there?) and really makes you excited to see the rest of the show after intermission. I loved watching the adult Nala (Dashaun Young) and Simba (Nia Holloway) and was particularly impressed with their voices. I will admit I was worried I would miss James Earl Jones’ deep voice, but Ransey was amazing! He was a wonderful father, and I really felt a connection to his character and the love he had for Simba. Gerald Ramsey (Mufasa) and Sophia Stephens (Sarabi) brought great heart to the performance. They both were adorable and did a wonderful job. I have seen shows where children get bored halfway through the performance, or become distracted. The children who played Young Simba and Young Nala had so much energy and enjoyed being on stage. Simba (Hamlet) eventually becomes king, but not before he goes through harrowing trials. The young prince knows of his uncle’s treachery, and struggles with the knowledge. The king (of the jungle) is killed by his evil brother, who is then crowned king. If you are unfamiliar with the plot, it is the Hamlet of the African Savannah. This is a great opportunity to see it presented this way on the stage, and I highly recommend you going to get tickets NOW if you don’t have them yet! While it stays very faithful to the movie and the original screenplay, there are additional songs and dialogue that add a new dimension to the story.
The play brings depth to the story and the characters that you don’t get from watching the movie. Disney’s The Lion King at the Broadway at the Eccles is spectacular! I have only praises for this show.
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