A Roaring Success: Why ‘The Lion King’ has moved us all

The world-wide stage sensation, The Lion King is currently playing at Birmingham’s Hippodrome. The musical, often lauded as something of a theatrical masterpiece, has been alive and kicking since 1997 in the wake of the beloved Walt Disney feature animation of the same name, released in 1994. The musical is now on a tour of the U.K., while the acclaimed West End production in its 14th year continues to play at its home in the Lyceum Theatre, London. With productions as far flung as New York, Sydney and Tokyo, The Lion King’s popularity seems never ending. But why? What is so special about this multi-award-winning production, for it to have earned its place as the number one highest-grossing musical on Broadway? Well, let me tell you.

I have always wanted to see this show and being able to do so last Friday, is not an experience I shall be forgetting for a very long time.

The musical, adapted by Julie Taymor, is exceptionally faithful to the Disney animation feature film and this is nothing but a good thing. The jokes don’t feel trite because the actors immerse you in their world so well that you’re laughing along in the moment, while also reminiscing about the film you watched in its hey-day (or perhaps not quite so long ago). In fact, the musical’s decision to borrow from the original film’s sequel, The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride, with beautiful renditions of He Lives In You, exemplifies the dedication the producers had for using the original source material.

The theatrical production breathes life into the rich world of the African plains with the most visually majestic staging. The lion heads, like over-sized masks, worn almost as if they are wicker crowns on the actors’ heads, have a ceremonial feel to them, a feeling that completely negates any sense of incredulity that the actor is playing anything other than a lion. The costumes marry well with the ensemble movements as the cast create pictures of mass animal movement and migration onstage. It is both beautiful to watch and to listen to, exemplified in the opening number, ‘The Circle of Life’ which demonstrates just how well the production can create beautiful imagery even with a very, very busy stage.

If I get goose bumps at a particular point in a musical, it is a sure sign of a fantastic production. Wicked, another exceptionally popular musical, is a wonderful show, but sometimes the narrative falters and my opinion of it wouldn’t be quite as glowing without the stellar song ‘Defying Gravity’. With a show like The Lion King however, the goose bump moments come in their droves. Whether it is Simba talking with the voice of his dead father, while a giant lion’s head assembles above him, or the moment when the young lion ascends pride rock, I guarantee you’ll get that tingly feeling.

The Lion King, Simba – Nicolas Nkuna

The Lion King has staying power because it comes from the imaginative industry of Disney, confirmed in 2011 with the animation’s release in 3D which became the first re-release of a film to make the top spot in the American weekend box office. Way back in the mid 1990’s, time was dedicated to making the transition from cartoon to stage as seamless as it possibly could be, ensuring the success of the world-famous musical today. Here’s to a continually spectacular run for the show and its roaring capacity to capture the wonder of audiences worldwide.

The Lion King is playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome for a limited season until Saturday 28th September 2013. It then moves to Edinburgh Playhouse and will continue to tour.