COSTA MESA – The Lion King will always have a home on stage. The longtime Broadway show has something for everyone. Children are fascinated by The Lion King.
Parents adore it. For the in-between crowd and older audience, The Lion King presents a story we all can identify with. There’s family drama. There’s romance. It’s fast-paced. Developing friendships is a critical component of the musical.
But the story of redemption and forgiveness rides home over everything else. Throughout February, The Lion King brings all those themes to Orange County, California. In a salute to Black History Month, The Lion King is holding performances at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The production of The Lion King is just as magical as the first time I saw it. The storytelling of a young lion losing his father and getting run out of Pride Rock only to find forgiveness and redemption later still brings a tear or two to my face.
As I looked around my seat, I could see streams dropping down my cheeks and people pulling out handkerchiefs and napkins to wipe away their tears. Yes, for all its funny moments, chest-thumping bluster, and jealousy-driven sibling, The Lion King has its tear-jerker moments.
The plotted murder of Mufasa (Gerald Ramsey), king of Pride Rock, at the hands (or paws) of his brother, Scar (Peter Hargrave), is one of those moments. The death of Mufasa drives young Simba (Mason Lawson) away from Pride Rock where he can’t go back to find solace and comfort for the loss of his dad.
A young lion cub in the wilderness more times than not usually does not fare too well with predators galore running, including the deadly and vicious hyenas. With a plan to overthrow the pride at Pride Rock following the death of Mufasa, Scar moves in with the subtlety of a hired killer and brings his band of puppets with him.
In this case, this would be the hyenas. The laughingly scary trio of Shenzi (Martina Sykes), Banzai (Forest VanDyke), and Ed (Robbie Swift) lead the takeover by the hyenas at Pride Rock, thanks to Scar’s behind-the-scenes manipulation.
The mix of lions and hyenas is a virtual no-no. It’s known that lions and hyenas are mortal enemies. Scar doesn’t care. He is now in control. He now sits on the throne once groomed for a young Simba, who is still on the run and trying to survive.
While Simba tries to stay alive, Pride Rock is overtaken by the sinister darkness brought on by Scar and the hyenas. Luckily, our young hero picks up and manages to forge a strong bond with a couple of animals that otherwise might be on his menu for supper.
Luckily for Timon (Nick Cordileone) and Pumbaa (John E. Brady), Simba is still wet behind the ears and could be influenced. The odd-looking triplets become buddies and show that friendship does not have to be with someone who looks like you or has to come from the same background you come from.
That party soon comes crashing as a fully-grown Nala (Khalifa White) re-connects with a mature Simba (Darian Sanders) and tells her pal what’s going on at Pride Rock. The drama leaves Simba with no choice but to go back home and face the music of abandoning the pride.
This, of course, leads to the ultimate confrontation between Simba and Scar for the right to the throne. The thing about a pride of lions is that there is typically only one Alpha male in charge of things. Simba and Scar battle it out for that right.
From the opening number to the dramatic closing, The Lion King will stir your soul well. What I enjoy the most is all the colorful pageantry being presented throughout the show. For two and a half hours, the magic of The Lion King is the dancing, singing, and beautiful presentation of what live theatre is supposed to be.
The Lion King majestically begins and ends with the spiritual-lifting song “Circle of Life.” What better way to open and close a production that brings so much joy to so many people here in the United States and abroad? The Lion King is what we think it is: musical magic in motion.
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, social justice, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University.