Disney's Lion King: The Broadway Tour

On Tuesday, March 19, 2008, I went to see Disney's The Lion King, the Broadway tour in Toledo, Ohio at the Stranahan Theater. The event appeared to be well sold, and it was filled with eagerly awaiting children as well as adults. The production did not disappoint these theater attendees as they screamed, laughed, and applauded throughout the entire show. The Broadway musical held true to the Disney movie, The Lion King. The well-known songs and punch lines entertained the audience for nearly three hours.

The costumes were very uniquely designed. Animal appendages and body parts were added to the actor's body frame, creating an artsy look. The giraffes consisted of an actor with his hands and feet on stilts. The characters, Timon and Zazu, were designed sort of like a ventriloquist and his dummy. There was an actor attached to the actual frame of the animal. The character, Pumbaa, was a huge warthog with an actor right in the middle of the animal's humongous belly. I had never seen costuming like this before . . . quite unique! The lighting and special effects were incredible! The interchangeable set pieces and props were beautiful and creatively designed. The show as a whole was a very eye pleasing. The bright colors, unique costumes, surprising effects, strobing lights, and much more kept viewer's eyes glued to the stage.

The music was beautiful. The actors did a superb job with the African music; they sounded truly native. As I listened, I felt the actors were truly connecting with this style of music; it was heartfelt. The orchestra was a delight. The percussion instruments were brought out of the orchestra pit and highlighted with special lighting. It was fun to watch the percussionists use their various instruments for the special sounds. I felt the music sound levels were at a good volume. However, some of the dialog was lost at times.

The staging of the production was pleasing to viewers. Not only did actors make great use of the entire stage, but the actors came down the aisles in the beginning of the performance, immediately catching your attention and eventually drawing focus to the stage. At the beginning Act II, the actors came into the balcony and the main aisles with bright color costumes singing an African song and waving props. Again, they excited the audience for the rest of the performance.

I felt the acting as a whole was average. I wasn't overly impressed by any one performance except for the character of Timon.

The choreography was intriguing. The animal actors were very well trained. Their movements well depicted the animal they were portraying. The dance numbers added to the complete feel of the show. One of my favorite parts of the production was the use of aerialists during the love scene between Nala and Simba.

The Lion King is a great event for the entire family. Children will be awestruck by all the sights and sounds that fill the auditorium and the stage. My ticket in the lower balcony was $62.00 which I felt was a bit high for this production, but I believe there were cheaper tickets available for purchase.