The Lion King (Theatre review)

     The Lion King (2000) An awesome show. The story is simple, archetypal, and of course somewhat more sentimental than it needs to be. But as a play it works much better than as an animated movie. Why this should be so is hard to decide. The music is much the same, the characters are much the same. But live actors pretending to be animals, masked and costumed in semi-abstract style, choreographed to mimic the animals’ movements, and so on: these things impress far more than animated special effects.
     Perhaps it’s the body-language, which on stage must be abstracted, simplified, exaggerated, and therefore very clear. Perhaps it’s the costumes and masks and puppet-like structures worn by the actors. We were always aware that someone was acting the role, and perhaps that’s the real reason for the effect – the connection with a real, live person, one who talks directly to the audience. We participate in a live show in a way we can’t possibly participate in a screened one. No matter how interactive the games become, it’s still just shadows on a glass, while the live actor, the live, right-now voice, the actor’s working with the audience, not for the audience (the camera), these things make for an immediacy that’s new every time.
     I didn’t want to go to this show at first, since the Disney label is for me not a recommendation. But I was wrong. This show is very, very good theatre. **** (2002)
     Update 2013: The show is being revived, and will be coming to Toronto. Go see it.