- “Nan ts’ngonya ma bakithi baba!”
That’s “Here comes the lion, folks!” in Zulu
Thursday night, Mom, Dad and I drove into D.C. to see The Lion King at the Kennedy Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew that no matter what the costumes would be phenomenal. I wasn’t disappointed! Costume designer (and mask and puppet designer, oh yeah, and Director!) Julie Taymor won awards for this show (among 70 major international theater awards), which first played for ten years on Broadway. It’s now off Broadway, and we took advantage of the D.C. show dates to check out the theater version of this beloved Disney classic film.
The first thing I want everyone to know is, I will NEVER be able to adequately describe the masks and puppets that are showcased in The Lion King. They are PHENOMENAL — totally on a level of exceptional that I can’t believe I’ve glimpsed… During the intermission I was able to walk out into the foyer and there were some samples of the masks (and of the bird, Zasu) and storyboards explaining how they were conceptualized, created and executed. I don’t even know where to begin, except to say that if you ever get the chance to see the show, watch the DVD or watch a “making of” show… DO IT.
The Lion King used stylized African and South African patterns to dress up a very pared-down stage, and the lighting effects were just… (I’m going to sound extremely redundant here very soon) phenomenal. I wasn’t sure they could pull off such a large production on the stage, but they made very clever use of rolling stage parts (cliffs, bones, and a BLOODY BRILLIANT stampede scene) in order to bring the story alive.
Showcasing humans as the different animals was a daunting task, but the masks and costumes were so ingenious that it made a believer out of the audience. I sat behind three small children and their father, and I don’t think even they had trouble understanding who the characters were or following the story.
My favorite scene was probably the stampede scene, if for no other reason than I didn’t know how in the heck they were going to pull it off… then the scene progressed and my jaw dropped and I turned to Dad, “That is SO FREAKING COOL!” Of course, he couldn’t hear me, but he saw my face and just nodded, knowing.
My favorite characters were probably some of the ones from the opening and closing “circle of life” scenes — an elephant, a rhinoceros and most especially two giraffes. Each giraffe was a person, bent forward in a crouching position with their hands and feet on stilts that were shaped into the lower legs. Atop their heads, they had a “hat” that was the neck and head of the giraffe, and when they moved you really believed that they were giraffes. Amazing.
The show made clever use of real actors in costume and masks, puppets, and shadow puppets throughout the telling of the story of Mufasa, his son Simba, and the evil uncle Scar. I couldn’t always hear all the words, but what my eyes got to see totally made up for what my ears failed to decipher. Specifically, there was a scene where the stage tilted up for us all to see, and there was a puddle of blue fabric. As the savannah dried up, the fabric was pulled through a small hole in the center, and we watched as the lights faded from lush blues and greens to dry and brittle yellows and browns. That time, Dad turned to me, “That is neat!” And I nodded, knowing.
Going to the theater, whether it is to see a Broadway (or off Broadway) show, can make for an expensive evening… one that Dad admitted he’s not sure if he feels is worth the expense. But Mom and I agreed that there’s just something special about going to the theater and seeing a show in person. You may not be able to take in everything happening on the stage all of the time, but having a chance to take in the story in a very live, textured way is so much better than simply watching the filmed versions.
Theater will always be a special treat… an evening about twice a year to sit down in a hushed theater and immerse myself in not just “culture,” but in the song, dance and art envisioned by people – passionate experts – who have the ability to take audiences on a leap of faith and imagination right from the moment that the lights dim and the curtains pull apart. I’m so glad that I was able to add The Lion King to my list of theater experiences… (Thanks Mom!)
