6 Reasons You Should Watch Disney’s The Lion King at The Theatre at Solaire
It’s no secret that The Lion King is one of Disney’s most iconic movies. A constant source of joy for kids and a bit of unconventional wisdom for adults, it only took a matter of years before it made its way to the stage.
While I would like to tell you every excruciating detail of how much The Lion King amazed me, that would be a ridiculously long (yet still worth) read. It might also be filled with tons of spoilers, so let’s scrap that idea.
What I can give you are six reasons why you should book your tickets for The Lion King ASAP:
Musical Score. Broadway musicals are known for having impeccable music, and The Lion King doesn’t disappoint. Lion King classics like Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata were given a slight twist. It’s an immersive (and impressive) musical score, with the music driving what transpires on stage.
Overall Design. Before I set foot inside The Theatre at Solaire, one of my first thoughts was “how in the world will they fit the African savannah on stage?” The answer to that question: perspective. Pride Rock, one of the iconic locations in Lion King, was given a “moving prop” treatment, literally moving as the actors made their way up the proverbial rock. The Elephant Graveyard came with jets of smoke, and Timon and Pumbaa’s home were given the accent-and-light treatment. Walking through the savannah was simulated with the grass moving across the stage, and Rafiki’s tree gloriously came down from the rafters everytime it was used. Watch out for how they recreated one of the most iconic scenes in Lion King: Mufasa speaking to Simba from the afterlife.
Zazu. Bringing in Rowan Atkinson is a stretch (he was the voice of Zazu in the first movie), but André Jewson played the part perfectly, making it seem as if Zazu asked Simba that he’ll be away from Pride Rock for a while to play his part on stage. Speaking of which,
Timon and Pumbaa. Two of Lion King’s most iconic characters were brought to life in the most uncanny of ways. Jamie McGregor (Timon) and Pierre Van Heerden (Pumbaa) played their parts perfectly, even finding moments to throw in some very recent pop culture references. Not going to say which ones so you have to watch the show.
Scar. A hero is a hero, but everyone loves a good villain. Scar is one of Disney’s most hated and loved, and his personality was on full display at The Lion King musical. Anthony Lawrence made it seem like he was born for the part, bringing to life some of Scar’s best moments on screen. Which ones? I’m not saying.
Young Simba and Young Nala. As much as I would want to commend Simba, Mufasa, Nala, and Rafiki, I was more impressed with the young guns tasked to play the younger Simba and Nala. Gabriel P. Tiongson (Young Simba) and Felicity Kyle Napuli (Young Nala) more than held their own next to The Lion King’s impressive cast. Their energy was infectious to the point where the other actors seemingly fed off of them. They also happen to be two of the only six Filipinos that form part of the cast, so a bit of Pinoy pride also goes with this.
Watching The Lion King is an experience you won’t soon forget. You’ll be laughing during the funniest moments and staring in amazement at how everything comes together. Make sure you catch The Lion King at The Theatre at Solaire, running Tuesdays to Sundays until May 6.
Tickets are available online via TicketWorld or at the box office of The Theatre at Solaire. Ticket prices are as follows:
IMAGE grabbed from TicketWorld
Written by Andronico Del Rosario
