BY KAYLIN KOPP

Staff Writer

            After going to see Disney’s Lion King production in Anchorage last month, I’ll confess that I cried when it was over! It was the most spectacular thing I’d ever seen – I had read reviews about it, with people using words like “magical”, “vibrant”, “stunning” and “life-like”…but none of these seem to give enough credit to the immense quality that has been put into this show. The Lion King has been one of Broadway’s top 10 most famous musicals for that very reason – superior choreography, incredible lighting techniques and dedicated actors.

            Broadway’s touring team brought “The Lion King” to the stage of Anchorage’s Performing Arts Center on September 2.   First premiering in 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theater, The Lion King on tour has swept the nation, and the audience and I, in Anchorage, were awestruck by it’s grandeur, yet touched by the moving storyline.

            The Lon King is the tale of a energetic lion cub, named Simba, who adores his father, the King of Pride Rock. But when King Mufasa is killed by his evil brother, Scar, in Scar’s bitter attempt to usurp the throne, young Simba is thrown to the hyena in the middle of a lifeless African desert. There. He is rescued be a pair of unlikely friends: Timon, the meerkat, and Pumbaa, the warthog. These take Simba under their “wings”, and teach him to live life with no worries – Hakuna Matata!!!

            As Simba grows into a powerful young adult, he begins to be discontented with the life Timon and Pumbaa can offer, even more so when he is reunited with a childhood friend, Nala, now a beautiful lioness. She persuades him to return home, and assist his suffering family. Thus, together, they overthrow Scar and his accomplices, once again restoring peace and prosperity to Pride Rock.

            With over 40 actors and an extensive cast, Julie Taymor, director, costume designer, and co-mask and puppet designer, truly brought this heartwarming story to life with fantastic sets, lights, costumes and actors. The lighting was able to change the mood from loving and warm to lifeless and desolate, or dark and intimidating in a matter of seconds. It made the emotions for all these scenes much more intense. The choreography and ensemble, too, were incredible. Everything flowed smoothly, even when there were dozens of dancers on stage, leaping, twirling and singing.

I’ve heard that, with Broadway, everything is super-sized. I found this to be more than true! In the first act, when all the animals gather to honor baby Simba, an actor in a 11-by-13 foot elephant costume lumbered down the isle towards the stage, followed closely by a life-size wildebeest; the audience then erupted into applause and cheers when two 18-foot tall giraffes made their way down. They even walked like real giraffes! The talent of the many actors to manipulate their costumes and puppets was astounding.

I found only one drawback in this production. During the scene in which Simba and Nala discover their love for one another, several pairs of trapeze dancers swing down on vines, singing, “Canyou feel the Love tonight?” I believe that while this showed excellent choreography, it didn’t add to the couple’s relationship, or the romantic atmosphere, and distracted from the main characters.

It really was the most incredible show I have ever seen . I only wish that The Lion

King was more accessible to us here in Galena, because I would certainly pay to see it again. Even after nearly 3 hours, I didn’t want it to end!  I definitely recommend you add The Lion King to your list of “big city To-Do’s”. I recommend you see it if you get the chance.