It's hard to believe it's been 14 years since The Lion King was released in 1994, especially because I distinctly remember seeing it with two girlfriends in the theater. In fact, I recall blushing while they teased me about my latest crush. One of those girls later stood with me as a bridesmaid when I married that boy.
"That boy" and I hit up the Kennedy Center last night to catch the stage production. I'd been looking forward to this for months, ever since my too-cool-for-school brother couldn't stop raving after he saw it on Broadway. He wasn't the only one who loved it - the entire eight-week run sold out before it opened.
Visually, it was a spectacle. The ingenious costumes/puppets (often one and the same) and the way the lions' masks hovered like headdresses but descended over the actors' faces when they crouched down into a combat stance? Way cool. The depth and richness of the colors on stage were incredible. I found myself holding my breath when elephants thundered down the aisles, and tearing up at unexpected moments.
But, I had the same problem with this show that I had with The Wedding Singer when we saw that a few months ago. Namely, the film actors were in the back of my head, especially in scenes that were pulled verbatim from the movie.
I'd see it again, though, if I could just scrounge up some more tickets!
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