The Lion King Musical Comes to Anchorage

On September 2^nd Disney's The Lion King debuted in Anchorage, Alaska. The final showing was on October 11^th. I had the pleasure, and honor, of being able to attend this much anticipated event.

I attended the 2 o'clock performance on September 5^th. The theater was nearly full. It was somewhat of a last minute decision to go to this event so I ended up having to sit in the balcony. The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is set up nicely and the view really wasn't all that bad. Plus I had a pair of binoculars.

The opening number was a sight to see. It was so beautiful, and colorful, with all the different costumes and puppetry. I was amazed and taken completely by surprise when tears welled up in my eyes. By far the most impressive was the giant elephant that walked through the orchestra section before climbing up the stairs and joining the rest of the cast on stage. It scared me at first. I was so taken by what was happening on stage, I didn't even notice it coming up the front aisles.

The woman who played Rafiki, the monkey, was incredible. Her voice and performance were both flawless. The auditorium was filled with laughter during most of her appearances. She was the perfect transition between scenes while they were, presumably, rearranging things on stage. Rafiki was definitely one of my favorite characters.

The one who stood out the most though, was the boy who played young Simba. The talent that kid possessed was extraordinary. From the voice to the performance, he was phenomenal. I found myself engrossed in his every movement.

The musical followed the same storyline as the beloved movie. It has been many years since I last saw it, but I found myself taken back to when I was a child; when things were much simpler.

I did not attend this event alone. I was accompanied by my Mother and Grandmother and we all agreed the show was magical. And magical is the best possible word I can use to describe it.

Disney's The Lion King is an award-winning Broadway musical. It is touring in several cities across the country. Its next stop is Spokane, WA. It will featured at the INB Performing Arts Center from November 11^th till December 6^th 2009. If you are in the area I would definitely recommend checking out this spectacular event. If not, it may be coming to a city near you. Check out the official website at http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelionking/tour/#/home/ for additional tour dates.