November, 2011
A roaring success
Shirin Keshvani tells What's Up what she thought of the Lion King musical.
The Lion King is a Tony award-winning musical, produced by Disney Theatrical. It is being staged at the Marina Bay Sands Theater. The elaborate musical is renowned as the seventh longest-running Broadway show and is enjoying an extended run in our sunny island with shows lined up till December.
It is the story of Simba, a young lion cub who is heir to the jungle kingdom known as Pridelands until his father Mufasa, the king, is killed by his brother Scar. Simba mistakenly believes he caused his father's death and runs away, only to return as an adult to reclaim his rightful throne. The story is loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet.
First of all, I have to say that I am a big fan of the animated version of The Lion King produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation.
My elder brother and I were mere toddlers when we first saw it on DVD but we enjoyed it tremendously, to the point of acting out some of the characters and enacting the memorable scenes, songs and dialogue.
So, I did not really know what to expect from the stage version. After all, how do you bring a cartoon about animals in the Serengeti to life and keep the Disney magic alive?
I needn't have worried. It was amazing! Visually impactful, funny and even with a touch of local finesse, the song-filled performance blew the audience away.
From the opening sequence with the animal parade to the finale, I was swept away. The colours were vivacious throughout and the upbeat music with all the familiar songs from the cartoon, and several new tracks, kept my feet tapping all the way through.
The local references certainly pleased the audience. At one point, Timon, the meerkat character, says "xie xie" with a tinge of cheekiness to one of the other characters. This and many of his other jokes kept the crowd in stitches.
The stage set-up was impressive; it looked like a million bucks. A huge circle was placed on the stage, symbolising the continuity of life: how the animals are inter-dependant though they differ in shape, size and colour.
During most scenes, the circle would be recreated in different forms – the sun, a watering hole, etc. The dazzling costumes and spectacular choreography make this show a sure fire winner for everyone. The staging and lighting is impressive, too.
The use of masks and puppets is well thought out. However, it is the costumes that set The Lion King apart from others.
Humans portray animals but without artificial masks or furry costumes that hide the actors. Only a part of the costume resembles the animal, allowing the actor to play the animal without losing human expressions.
A stunning example of this is the gazelles. Two curved gazelle puppets are fixed on either side of the actor's torso and one more is fitted on the actor's head. One leap by the actor gives the effect of three or more gazelles leaping into the air at the same time.
Director and costume designer, Julie Taymor, calls this creative aspect the "double event" where the performer connects with the audience on two levels.
Though the costumes and sets are the key to the musical's success, when stripped down to acting and singing, the show is still a hit. The international cast had a rich variety of accents including African, which contributes to the authenticity of the setting.
The exuberance and lustre of the African singers' voices combined with the music from the live orchestra in the pit resonate through Sands Theater, bringing a genuine touch to the African Pridelands.
The choreography by Garth Fagan incorporates Southeast Asian influence, combining Javanese style ethnicity with stylised animal-like movements. The performers are swift, in sync and have boundless energy. Their sleek movements convinced me they really were a community of animals.
Each and every one of the performers gave a hundred percent, but personally my favourite has to be the hilarious Timon. His light-hearted take on Simba's predicament was a good contrast to the serious note that the play ended on.
In fact, the highlight of the play are the wise words delivered in a song by the whimsical pairing of Timon and the warthog, Pumbaa. "Hakuna Matata", a Swahili phrase which means "no worries (for the rest of your days)". The message, don't fret over the mistakes you've made in life but learn from them and move on, applies to both young and old.
The Lion King is playing at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Tickets are priced from $65. Upper primary and secondary school students can use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 50 per cent of the programme cost. Full details at www.thelionking.com.sg.
Note: Serengeti is the region in Africa that has the largest collection of mammals and is considered one of the ten natural wonders of the world.
The Lion King is a Tony award-winning musical, produced by Disney Theatrical. It is being staged at the Marina Bay Sands Theater. The elaborate musical is renowned as the seventh longest-running Broadway show and is enjoying an extended run in our sunny island with shows lined up till December.
It is the story of Simba, a young lion cub who is heir to the jungle kingdom known as Pridelands until his father Mufasa, the king, is killed by his brother Scar. Simba mistakenly believes he caused his father's death and runs away, only to return as an adult to reclaim his rightful throne. The story is loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet.
First of all, I have to say that I am a big fan of the animated version of The Lion King produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation.
My elder brother and I were mere toddlers when we first saw it on DVD but we enjoyed it tremendously, to the point of acting out some of the characters and enacting the memorable scenes, songs and dialogue.
So, I did not really know what to expect from the stage version. After all, how do you bring a cartoon about animals in the Serengeti to life and keep the Disney magic alive?
I needn't have worried. It was amazing! Visually impactful, funny and even with a touch of local finesse, the song-filled performance blew the audience away.
From the opening sequence with the animal parade to the finale, I was swept away. The colours were vivacious throughout and the upbeat music with all the familiar songs from the cartoon, and several new tracks, kept my feet tapping all the way through.
The local references certainly pleased the audience. At one point, Timon, the meerkat character, says "xie xie" with a tinge of cheekiness to one of the other characters. This and many of his other jokes kept the crowd in stitches.
The stage set-up was impressive; it looked like a million bucks. A huge circle was placed on the stage, symbolising the continuity of life: how the animals are inter-dependant though they differ in shape, size and colour.
During most scenes, the circle would be recreated in different forms – the sun, a watering hole, etc. The dazzling costumes and spectacular choreography make this show a sure fire winner for everyone. The staging and lighting is impressive, too.
The use of masks and puppets is well thought out. However, it is the costumes that set The Lion King apart from others.
Actress Buyi Zama as Rafiki
Humans portray animals but without artificial masks or furry costumes that hide the actors. Only a part of the costume resembles the animal, allowing the actor to play the animal without losing human expressions.
A stunning example of this is the gazelles. Two curved gazelle puppets are fixed on either side of the actor's torso and one more is fitted on the actor's head. One leap by the actor gives the effect of three or more gazelles leaping into the air at the same time.
Director and costume designer, Julie Taymor, calls this creative aspect the "double event" where the performer connects with the audience on two levels.
Though the costumes and sets are the key to the musical's success, when stripped down to acting and singing, the show is still a hit. The international cast had a rich variety of accents including African, which contributes to the authenticity of the setting.
The exuberance and lustre of the African singers' voices combined with the music from the live orchestra in the pit resonate through Sands Theater, bringing a genuine touch to the African Pridelands.
The choreography by Garth Fagan incorporates Southeast Asian influence, combining Javanese style ethnicity with stylised animal-like movements. The performers are swift, in sync and have boundless energy. Their sleek movements convinced me they really were a community of animals.
Each and every one of the performers gave a hundred percent, but personally my favourite has to be the hilarious Timon. His light-hearted take on Simba's predicament was a good contrast to the serious note that the play ended on.
In fact, the highlight of the play are the wise words delivered in a song by the whimsical pairing of Timon and the warthog, Pumbaa. "Hakuna Matata", a Swahili phrase which means "no worries (for the rest of your days)". The message, don't fret over the mistakes you've made in life but learn from them and move on, applies to both young and old.
The Lion King is playing at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Tickets are priced from $65. Upper primary and secondary school students can use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 50 per cent of the programme cost. Full details at www.thelionking.com.sg.
Note: Serengeti is the region in Africa that has the largest collection of mammals and is considered one of the ten natural wonders of the world.