Disney’s The Lion King makes its triumphant return to the Providence Performing Arts Center! Approaching 30 landmark years on Broadway, it continues as one of the most popular stage musicals of all time. This touring production imbues the magic which made it a global phenomenon. More than 100 million people have experienced this Broadway extravaganza. One of the most spectacularly thrilling and beloved productions to grace the stage, there is simply nothing else like it!
The production is just as stunning this time around as when it roared into Providence several years ago. “Circle of Life” still chills our spines. Before a word of dialogue is even spoken, the audience leans into the spectacle, already knowing what’s coming. They reward the company with an instinctively grateful ovation and audible gasps as the opening procession glides through the aisles. When the curtain rises, giraffes strut. Gazelles leap. Birds swoop. As the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist and the entire Serengeti comes to life.
There’s good reason why the show has endured so long. This genuinely magnificent production has it all! Spectacle, oh yes, and at PPAC this effect is magnified by the house’s gilded grandeur, made to invite ritual and pageantry. Beneath the visual splendor though, there lies a deeply human story of relatable grief, responsibility, exile and return, in which you get emotional clarity — another reason why it resonates so strongly after so many years.
Tony Award®-winning director, costume designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against amazing backdrops. The astonishing visual vocabulary she created three decades ago still feels primal and relevantly hopeful. The first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical, Taymor remains actively involved in the show, launching new productions while maintaining the flagship Broadway production.
The Lion King also features the extraordinary work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. The score is musical mastery, complemented by three new compositions that enrich the storytelling. The live orchestra’s rendition of “Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” underscore the emotional weight of these moments. Percussionists in shadow maintain the ever-present pulse of the land.
This masterpiece is a true testament to the power of theatre to transport and transform. What continues to distinguish this from other screen-to-stage transfers is its theatricality over realism. We see the mechanics. We see actors beneath masks; the emotional investment deepens due to this transparency. The intricate masks and puppetry, designed by Taymor and Michael Curry, masterfully bring the animal kingdom to life in a way that is both innovative and respectful of African culture. True to the continent, there are six indigenous African languages sung or spoken throughout the show, including Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and Congolese.
“When a figure made of wood, of fabric, moves like a living thing, the visual and emotional impact is magical,” says Taymor. “One can either focus solely on the puppet or enjoy the direct and transparent art of the actor motivating the puppet. At rest, a puppet is just a facsimile of a human being or an animal. But when Zazu’s wings flutter excitedly, or Timon cocks his head at a quizzical angle, the pleasure of watching that facsimile turn into a being with recognizable emotions is the pinnacle of this type theatre experience.”
Taymor explains, “I had decided early on that I would not do a realistic rendition of the Pride Lands. I wanted audiences to be released from their memories of the film right from the start. I wanted them to take a leap of faith and imagination. Stage mechanics would be visible. Showing the mechanics, revealing the rods, ropes and wires that make it all happen, is something that the theatre can do that the film and television cannot. They are literal mediums where the spectator is asked to believe in the reality of the image while the theatre functions best as a poetic medium. The audience, given a hint or suggestion of an idea, is ready to fill in the lines, to take it the rest of the way. Magic can exist in blatantly showing how theatre is created rather than hiding the ‘how’.”
On the marriage of the actors with their animal counterparts, Tamor says, “One of the most powerful elements of the film is the rich humanity of the animal characters. In considering this ironic duality of the human and the animal, it became critical in the design concept not to hide the actor behind a whole mask or inside an animal bodysuit. I wanted the human being to be an essential part of stylization. I wanted the audience to marvel at what a human being can do through true technical prowess.”
The cast delivers stellar acting and singing performances that resonate deeply with emotion. Zama Magudulela’s rendition of Rafiki is spirited and moving. Peter Hargrave’s Scar is both menacing and charismatic, with his sharp facial features and crisp voice, embodying the complexity of the character with a presence that commands the stage not as cartoon villain so much as Shakespearean opportunist.
Gilbert Domally authentically brings Simba’s journey of self-discovery to life, his voice carrying beautifully in “Endless Night,” one of the production’s quieter triumphs, while Thembelihle Cele’s Nala offers a powerful supportive presence. You just might tear up over David D’Lancy Wilson’s soul-touching patriarchal musing as Mufasa with “He Lives in You,” a tender father and son duet.
The mood changes the moment Pumbaa and Timon take the stage. There’s an instant charge of energy as Danny Grumich (Pumbaa) and Nick Cordileone (Timon) enrapture the audience with their feral humor and zoomorphic locomotion.
The ensemble work is extraordinary as the company moves with the precision of dancers and the agility of athletes. The choreography becomes the storytelling itself as every puppet movement, every tilt of a mask, every drum beat aids the Serengeti in materializing before your eyes. The orchestra, tucked beneath the stage, gives the catchy score additional richness through Lebo M’s African choral influences and the sweeping orchestrations, elevating notes that hum to the bone, with sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy.
Scenic design by Richard Hudson gives us beautifully impressive, bustling settings — and with so many set changes, one can’t help but wonder what it takes to pull off a traveling show of this magnitude! Lighting by Donald Holder reflects the feel of the land and its inhabitants with luminous effects that mirror the emotional arc.
A celebratory feast for the eyes and ears, this production of THE LION KING is a theatrical triumph, a visual spectacle that’s been called the perfect marriage of entertainment and art. It’s enchanting, emotionally charged, awe inspiring, beautifully fluid and creative, clever and funny. The blend of artistry, compelling performances, and unforgettable music creates an experience you won’t forget.
PPAC presents The Lion King through June 7. For more information, visit ppacri.org.