The Lion King By Brenna Bozigian

The Lyceum’s The Lion King can be classified as nothing short of a grand spectacle rather than merely a play or musical. I had the privilege of seeing the show at the Lyceum Theatre in September when my grandparents came to visit. My grandpa had already seen the production several times in London and described the opening scene as “the most exciting fifteen minutes of theatre I have ever seen”. I must agree with him! The cast, dressed in ornate animal attire, walk from the back of the theatre down the aisles, gathering on the stage to create “the circle of life”. The dazzling scene ends with Simba held out above the stage and presented to the audience. Though I could have left and been satisfied, the production continues to excel not only in the elaborate but in the subtle scenes as well.

            Though there are a plethora of characters and elements of the Lion King, I found the focus on Simba best encapsulates how the play grows and develops before the audience members’ eyes. The part of Simba is split between two actors between the first and second half of the show. In the first half, Simba is played by an exceptionally talented child performer and is replaced in the second half by an older actor, who illustrates the physical and emotional growth Simba has gone through in the time lapse. The audience cheered as the curtains opened after intermission to reveal the young adult Simba leaping and singing about the stage.

            Audience reactions such as this truly encapsulate the production’s ability to engage. This is attributed to the collective elements of the production rather than merely one factor; this is what I found most enticing about The Lion King. Individually, all the elements of the play are exceptional; together, they make the production spectacular. In the concluding scene musicians beat drums while dancing on balconies flanking the stage. The entire animal kingdom (complete with female lioness dancers and cheetah gymnasts) gathers to celebrate Simba’s reign. The main characters (Simba and Nala) stand to face the audience and reign over their kingdom together as the last notes of “The Circle of Life” ring throughout the Lyceum. The Lion King is able to bring to the stage the classic ending of the story, yet also able to breathe new life into it by superbly executing each of the main aspects of theatre.

            As I made my way to exit I noticed audience members of all ages exiting the theatre, buying Lion King tokens and looking dazzled. I think the aftermath of the production illustrates the quality of the show just as accurately as if one were to watch the play. My grandpa and I were a perfect example of this: he accompanied me to see The Lion King on the small screen many years ago (I think I was four?) and the production now allows families to recreate that memory in a performance environment. Still new to London at this point, I truly felt like I had bridged the gap between my childhood in California and my study abroad experience here. I attribute this to the perfectly designed and executed stage version of the beloved The Lion King.