by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
The King has arrived. The Lion King that is. Simba will be roaming the stage of the TU center until April 15th.
Every critic has the obligation to give some idea of the plot, so here comes a summary. A lion cub raised to take his father’s place as king of the jungle is sabotaged by his evil uncle and lives in exile until he realizes his rightful place in the circle of life.
Sound a bit familiar? It ought to since the animated movie of the Lion King has been out since 1994. Thousands and thousands of children who have a VCR or a DVD player have seen it more than once. Some of you, who like your lions thirty feet tall, have even seen the IMAX version.
I have been told by a number of people that they only read the first paragraph or two of a movie or theatre review and then cut to the end to see the critic’s final conclusion. So I will cut to the chase. This is a spectacular show and a once in a lifetime experience; I highly recommend it so don’t miss it.
The costumes, puppets and masks that unite the human form with the animal are breathtaking, and never before done on stage. The lighting, using over 700 lights, is glorious and gorgeous and has to be experienced through seeing and not through words.
The cast of 39 is excellent and has been on the road with this show and their incredible timing and talent comes through every moment during the two hour and forty minute experience. Actually the cast seems larger since many actors come back and do multiple roles. You are able to identify the strong personalities of each of the characters.
Here are a couple of tips to enhance your theatre adventure. At the opening, when the lights dim and an African shaman cries out on stage and is answered by tribesmen in the box seats on both sides, turn and look to the back of the theatre so you can see the massive elephant coming down the far left aisle.
Second hint, bring binoculars regardless of where your seats are I did, and was rewarded by seeing the fantastic details of the makeup and costume materials.
I especially liked the African music that was added to go along with the Elton John and Tim Rice creations.
The ticket prices range from $21.50 to $68 and let me tell you that is a bargain. This show has been playing on Broadway for ten years, and Variety reports it was 94% sold out the last week in February with a top price of $110. That means the only time the theatre had vacant seats was during the week, and most tickets on the weekends were available only from brokers beginning at $130 per ticket. The Lion King is a fantastic value, thanks to the FCCJ Artist Series.
This show is not just for kids, although they are absolutely mesmerized by it all. Adults love it and a lot of the humor is very hip. My favorite line was from Zazu, when a large colorful backdrop curtain came down, he remarked “ It looks like a shower curtain from Target.”
If numbers impress you then here are some. There are over 225 costumes used in each performance (don’t try to count them, everyone moves too fast). Some 240 masks and puppets are used in each show. In my favorite scene, over 50 wildebeests chase young Simba and his father across the stage. I can’t even name all the animals on stage at different times, like the cheetah, lots and lots of birds, giraffes, elephants, many lions, a meerkat and a warthog.
Let me repeat myself. This is a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime experience, and only here until April 15th. For information, call (904) 632-3373 or visit artistseries.fccj.org.
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