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| Photo Credit: Joan Marcus |
Last night, my 5 year old son had his first theater experience. I thought THE LION KING, a Disney musical, would be the perfect way to introduce him to the theater arts and it far surpassed my expectations. Our tickets put us on the main floor, center stage. We quickly learned that this was a wonderful place to be sitting.
As The Circle of Life played, we saw the most amazing animals coming down the aisles on either side of us, making their way to the stage. We both found the elephant to be the most impressive and really enjoyed watching all the great, African animals move around on the stage as they celebrated the birth of the lion cub, Simba. This opening score took my breath away and literally brought tears to my eyes. The majesty of the pride lands matched with the warmth of welcome and a touch of Disney magic was the perfect opening to the incredible story and journey of Simba, his family, and his kingdom.
The costumes in this production are absolutely amazing. There were so many times I found myself watching an animal move only to realize there was a person bringing that animal to life. Many of the costumes are more like life-size or larger than life puppets. The detail in every single piece was not lost on me. I can't even begin to imagine the time, effort, and talent that went into making these things a reality and a true feast for the eyes.
The cast for this production is impressive beyond words but for me the stand-out performances came from Scar {Timothy Carter} and Rafiki {Buyi Zama}. Scar quickly became a character who got to me. He sounded exactly like the Scar I remembered from the Lion King movie I watched when I was younger but he was far more captivating of a character watching him on stage. Timothy Carter set the scene for much of Simba's story in a strong and memorable way. I'm sure audience members will love to hate him as much as I did. And as for Rafiki, hers is a character I couldn't get enough of in a completely different way. She carried with her a presence of wisdom and a feeling of home whenever she was on the stage. I loved her as I do the people who have encouraged me in my own life. {Strange to think I relate people to a baboon but she was really that good and I make that connection in the most loving of ways}.
Whether you have a little one you would like to introduce to the theater arts or you're a grown up who would like to be a kid again, don't miss this production while it's in town. It was a production I didn't just enjoy for a night, I'll keep it in my heart for a lifetime.
In regards to my son, he can't yet pick just one part to be his favorite. He enjoyed his experience and asked me this morning if we can go back and see it again. He's also been singing some of the songs we heard and I'm thinking about buying him the soundtrack.
For more details, please see the bit of the press release I've shared below.
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Performance times for THE LION KING, playing February 13 – March 10, 2013 at the Detroit Opera House, located at 1526 Broadway St., in Detroit, are:
- Tuesday through Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday evening performances at 6:30 p.m. No evening performance on March 10.
- Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m.
- Sunday matinees at 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, February 14 matinee at 1:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m. is Kids Night. Pre-show activities begin at 6:00 p.m.
- Sunday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. is a signed performance.
- Thursday, March 7 matinee at 1:00 p.m.
THE LION KING Kids’ Night, courtesy of Michigan Education Savings Plan (MESP), pre-show activities will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20 in the Detroit Opera House lobby where kids will have the opportunity to make lion masks courtesy of Arts and Scraps, and much more. For Kids’ Night, kids’ tickets (18 & under) are half price with the purchase of an adult ticket at full price. Kids’ Night tickets are available for purchase at the Detroit Opera House and Fisher Theatre Box Offices as well as Ticketmaster Ticket Centers at Partridge Creek, 12 Oaks Mall, Great Lakes Crossing, and Fairlane Town Center. Mention code KNOB or ask for the “Kids’Night” offer. Kids’ Night tickets for THE LION KING are not available online or by phone. Kids’ Night tickets are limited and pre-show activities are subject to change. Visit Broadwayindetroit.com for the latest information on Kids’ Night activities and ticket availability.
For more information, visit www.broadwayindetroit.com and www.lionking.com.
**Thanks to the PR firm who provided two, complimentary tickets to press night in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. Opinions shared are my own. Others may have a different experience or opinion.
