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Tuesday, November 05, 2002 Simba and Co. I was in Toronto over the weekend to see The Lion King, which was fun. A little disappointing in some ways though. Canadian drivers are insane! We left the hotel a hour early for the show, thinking that should leave plenty of time on a Saturday night to get to a theatre 20km away (this is around 10-15 miles, people). Heh. We were so wrong... it took over an hour to make it to the Princess of Wales Theatre, but thankfully we only missed part of the opening number. Yikes. New York City isn't so bad. Anyway, my thoughts on the production. The staging, costumes, and puppetry were absolutely incredible:     However, I after hearing so much about the depth that director Julie Taymor supposedly brought to the musical, I was unimpressed--yes, she gave more than the Disney movie, but the show was more interesting as a spectacle than a serious story (I won't bother summarizing it here since most people know the plot already). Her use of puppets and costuming made the production much more engaging than it would have been if it were done Beauty and the Beast Broadway style, but it was more fascinating to watch how the actors move (especially since in most cases there was no attempt to conceal the actors' bodies--rather, they became human extensions of their characters) than to give great attention to the plot. The scene where Mufasa dies was absolutely stunning--Taymor used cutouts of wildebeasts, a canvas roller, various platforms/levels, and puppets/costumes that increasingly got larger to create the stampede. A definite jaw-dropper. Another simple but striking effect used a large painted sheet of blue silk slowly disappearing into a hole in the stage floor to symbolize the drought after Scar takes control. The vocals were strong--especially Brittney Kay, who played Young Nala (wow!! she can't be more than 12 years old, but where did she learn to sing?!!)--but some of the actors were weak, with Simba and Young Simba being the most noticeable. One fun addition to the production was the inclusion of African music--not just in the background or sporatically--to tie the show together. Many of the actors are from Africa as well (on a related sidenote: the cast bios are hilarious--most aren't your typical professional let-me-tell-you-all-the-shows-I've-done pieces, but have beaucoup personality, for better or worse, probably more than I've ever seen for professional theatre). The production also tried to find its own themes, different than those of the film... and they were confusing at best. "He Lives in You," sung by Simba and Rafiki as the young lion tries to reconcile himself with with father's death long ago, talks about Mufasa's continuing influence: Wait, there's no mountain too great Hear the words and have faith Have faith He lives in you He lives in me He watches over Everything we see Into the water Into the truth In your reflection He lives in you It sounds like Mufasa is turning into God, not just a father. "Shadowland," sung by Nala as she leaves Pride Rock because Scar wants to marry her, even speaks of lionesses' prayers: "And where the journey may lead me/ Let your prayers be my guide/ I cannot stay here, my family/ But I'll remember my pride." Prayers to whom? Simba sings "Endless Night" to his dead father, who now lives in the stars, as do all great lion kings, and the lyrics are exactly like words I would write to God in a dark time: Where has the starlight gone? Dark is the day How can I find my way home? Home is an empty dream Lost to the night Father, I feel so alone You promised you'd be there Whenever I needed you Whenever I call your name You're not anywhere I'm trying to hold on Just waiting to hear your voice One word, just a word will do To end this nightmare When will the dawning break Oh endless night Sleepless I dream of the day When you were by my side Guiding my path Father, I can't find the way You promised you'd be there Whenever I needed you Whenever I call your name You're not anywhere I'm trying to hold on Just waiting to hear your voice One word, just a word will do To end this nightmare I know that the night must end And that the sun will rise And that the sun will rise I know that the clouds must clear And that the sun will shine And that the sun will shine I know that the night must end And that the sun will rise And that the sun will rise I know that the clouds must clear And that the sun will shine And that the sun will shine I know Yes, I know The sun will rise Yes, I know I know The clouds must clear I know that the night must end I know that the sun will rise And I'll hear your voice deep inside I know that the night must end And that the clouds must clear The sun The sun will rise The sun The sun will rise This leaves me with the question of who Mufasa is in the world of the production. He's definitely likened to God--more so in my mind as a person with a relationship with God than it would be in an unbeliever, I'm sure--but what is Taymor trying to say? As an English major, I could easily come up with an interpretation that may or may not be correct, but would sound convincing. I'm not interested in that right now. I want to know where she was really going with this. For thoughts on the weekend from Al, who was with me, click here. ^ Top | 4:02 AM | | | 
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