The Lion King (Musical)
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| Title: | The Lion King |
| Original title: | The Lion King |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Elton John |
| Book: |
Roger Allers Irene Mecchi |
| Lyrics: | Tim Rice |
| Original direction: | Julie Taymor |
| Premiere: | July 31, 1997 |
| Place of premiere: | Orpheum Theater, Minneapolis |
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The Lion King is a Broadway - Musical by Elton John and Tim Rice . It is based on the eponymous Disney - Cartoons from the year 1994. Directed by Julie Taymor enter both an actor up in animal costumes and giant puppets. The musical premiered on July 31, 1997 at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis and was a huge hit from the start. In October it was permanently moved to the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway in New York . It has been played in the Minskoff Theater since June 13, 2006 , as it had to make way for the musical version of Mary Poppins .
Performance venues
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After the success of the premiere on Broadway in 1997, the musical was also produced in the United Kingdom , where it has been shown at the Lyceum Theater in London since 1999 . The musical also played intermittently in Sydney and Melbourne . In addition to the Broadway version, there are currently two touring versions in the USA , which are somewhat sparsely equipped for reasons of cost. The musical has also been shown in Las Vegas since 2009 .
The German production celebrated its premiere in Hamburg . The musical has been shown in the theater in the port of Hamburg since December 2, 2001, and the 5000th performance was celebrated on January 14, 2014. Since the theater can also be reached via a direct feeder by ferry, some of the passenger ferries there are painted in the colors of the musical or have even been named after characters from the play (such as the Nala and sister ship Rafiki ).
Other current venues are Tokyo , Shanghai , Madrid and The Hague . Since June 6, 2007 the musical has also been performed in the Montecasino Theater in Johannesburg , and since September 22, 2007 in the Mogador Theater in Paris . Since March 2011 the musical has been played in a theater at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore . In summer 2015 the musical was performed in the Musical Theater Basel in Switzerland - in the original English version.
Special features of the musical
Compared to the film, the musical contains some changes, as well as additional scenes and songs.
The scene “The Lioness Hunt” replaces the scene in the film in which Nala and Simba are washed by their mothers Sarafina and Sarabi. There is also an additional dialogue in which Mufasa talks to Zazu about the fact that Simba is exactly as he was and that this worries him.
Also new is Nala's confrontation with Scar, who begins to ensnare her. In her song "Schattenland" her farewell to the savannah, which is only mentioned briefly in retrospect in the film, is portrayed.
In the scene "The lion is sleeping tonight" Simba is shown restless. In the course of a nightly search for sleeping places, Timon falls into a river. Simba is reminded of his father's death, but is able to save his friend at the last second.
The mandrill Rafiki is female here, as Taymor believed there was no female leadership role in the film.
Lebo M leads the original Broadway choir, having played a key role in the music in the film. The choir members are usually visible and not hidden like in some other productions.
Many of the animals shown in the musical are actors in costumes that move them with additional tools. Other characters are portrayed by actors in life-size dolls or costumes.
The plot
first act
At sunrise, the mandrill Rafiki calls the animals of the savannah to the king's rock to present the son of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabis (" Circle of Life ", "The Eternal Circle"). The only thing not present is Mufasa's brother Scar, who with the birth of the prince lost any chance of the throne. Just in time, Mufasa is able to prevent him from venting his anger on the hornbill Zazu, the steward.
While Rafiki is drawing a picture of the newborn in her monkey tree, the ghosts tell her his name - Simba. Over time, this grows into a fun-loving boy ("Grasslands Chant"). As he wanders through his future kingdom with his father, Mufasa explains that all life is in delicate balance, also known as the Eternal Circle of Life. He also warns him not to cross the boundaries of the Consecrated Land. When Zazu appears for the morning report, Simba immediately uses it as a stalking exercise ("The Morning Report") (deleted since 2011). Finally, Zazu reports about hyenas in the Consecrated Land, whereupon Simba stays behind and visits his uncle Scar. Knowing that his nephew will not be able to resist the temptation, Simbas arouses curiosity about a place he is never allowed to enter - an elephant cemetery.
During the hunt ("The Lioness Hunt") Simba appears to persuade his best friend Nala to visit the elephant cemetery with him without letting her parents know about it. On the condition that Zazu accompanies them, Sarabi and Sarafina, Nala's mother, agree. The lion cubs quickly manage to get rid of the unwanted companion ("I Just Can't Wait to Be King").
He reappears in the cemetery, unfortunately they are prevented from returning home by the hungry hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed ("Chow Down") and can only be saved by Mufasa. He is disappointed in Simba and on his return to the Consecrated Land, Simba says that he only wanted to be as brave as his father. Mufasa then says that courage has nothing to do with looking for danger. When asked whether they will always be together, he replies with a glance at the night sky that the great kings of the past look at them from there and lead them (“They Live in You”). This is exactly how he will always be with Simba.
At the elephant cemetery, Scar is angry about the hyenas' failure and forges a new plan with the promise that the hyenas will never go hungry again if they help him ("Be Prepared").
Zazu apologizes for Simba's behavior at the Königsfelsen near Mufasa. He says Simba reminds him of the king himself when he was young, which is cause for concern.
Ultimately, Scar is ready to put his plans into action. With the instruction to wait there, he leads Simba into a ravine, whereupon the hyenas set a herd of wildebeest in an uproar ("The Stampede", dt. "The gorge"). On Scar's message, Mufasa rushes to save his son, which he succeeds. However, when he tries to climb a cliff, Scar betrays him and throws him down, where he is trampled down. Then he persuades Simba that he alone is to blame for his father's death. He advises him to flee the Consecrated Land and never return. Simba barely escapes the attack of the hyenas, who lie to Scar and report that Simba is dead. With the news that Mufasa and Simba have died ("Rafiki Mourns", "Rafiki's lamentation"), Scar crowns himself as the new king.
In the desert, the collapsed Simba is found by the meerkat Timon and the warthog Pumbaa and brought into the jungle, where they bring him closer to their relaxed way of life (" Hakuna Matata ", dt. "Hakuna Matata"). Simba stays with his new friends and grows up into an adult lion.
Second act
Under Scar's reign of terror, a drought attacked the consecrated land ("One by One"). Scar now complains that nobody loves him and concludes that he has to find a queen who will give birth to him. When Nala, who has meanwhile grown up, appears at his place, he decides for her, whereupon she flees ("The Madness of King Scar", German: "The madness of King Scar"). Angry, she decides to leave the Consecrated Land and seek help ("Shadowland").
Meanwhile, the three friends are looking for a place to sleep in the jungle (" The Lion Sleeps Tonight "). When crossing a river, Timon falls into the water. When he tries to help him, Simba is reminded of Mufasa's death. At the last second he can save his friend and he feels guilty. At night he remembers his father's words about the stars and is disappointed that he is not with him now ("Endless Night"). Rafiki hears Simba's song in the wind and happily concludes that he is still alive.
The next day, Simba saves Pumbaa from a hunting lioness, but soon recognizes Nala, his childhood friend. Knowing that he is the rightful king, Nala is overjoyed to see them again. The two fall in love and Timon and Pumbaa realize that their carefree life is now coming to an end ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight"). However, because of his guilty feelings, Nala cannot convince Simba to take his place in the Consecrated Land.
When he later meets Rafiki alone, he finally realizes that his father still lives in him ("He Lives in You (Reprise)") and decides to go to his homeland to return. With the help of Nala, Timon and Pumbaa he gets to the Königsfelsen.
There, Scar asks Sarabi why the lionesses no longer hunt, which she answers by saying that there is neither water nor food and that they have to leave the King's Rock to survive. Angrily, Simba watches Scar beat his mother and intervenes. After his initial shock at Simba, who is still alive, his uncle demands that he confess to his father's murder. In the ensuing fight, Scar wins the upper hand and whispers in his ear that he himself is Mufasa's real murderer. Angry, Simba strikes back, forcing him to reveal the truth to everyone.
It comes to a fight between the lionesses and the hyenas ("Simba Confronts Scar", Eng. "Battle for the King's Rock"). On the summit of King's Rock, Simba calls on Scar to leave the Consecrated Land forever - in the same words his uncle used back then. He first agrees, but attacks again and is thrown by Simba over the cliff to the waiting hyenas, who are now killing their former leader.
At the end of the fight, Simba is recognized as the rightful king amid his friends. At his roar, the animals return to the consecrated land ("King of Pride Rock", "The king returns"). Ultimately, all the animals gather again in front of the Königsfelsen, where Rafiki Simbas and Nalas young presents ("Circle of Life (reprise)", German "The eternal circle (reprise)").
Track list
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first act
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Second act
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First cast Hamburg 2001
- Mufasa- Michael Edward-Stevens
- Simba - Gino Emnes
- Nala - Senhit Zadik Zadik
- Rafiki - Velephi Patricia Mnisi
- Scar - Marc Hetterle
- Shenzi - Anastasia Bain
- Banzai - Jerrel Houtsnee
- Ed - Enrique Segru
- Timon - Oliver Grice
- Pumbaa -
- Sarabi - Araba Walton
- Zazu - Joachim Benoit
Awards
- Tony Award for the best musical
- Tony Award for Best Scene Design (Richard Hudson)
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design ( Julie Taymor )
- Tony Award for Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder)
- Tony Award for Best Choreography (Garth Fagan)
- Tony Award for Best Director (Julie Taymor)
- nominated for the Tony Award for the best book on a musical (Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi)
- nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Music (Elton John, Tim Rice, Hans Zimmer, Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor)
- nominated for the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Samuel E. Wright)
- nominated for the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Tsidii Le Loka)
- nominated for the Tony Award for Best Orchestration (Robert Elhai, David Metzger, Bruce Fowler )
- Drama Desk Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Tsidii Le Loka)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Choreography (Garth Fagan)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Director in a Musical (Julie Taymor)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Stage Design in a Musical (Richard Hudson)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor)
- Drama Desk Award for the best lighting design (Donald Holder)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Sound Design (Tony Meola)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Puppet Design (Julie Taymor)
- nominated for the Drama Desk Award for the best new musical
- nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Max Casella, Geoff Hoyle)
- nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Best Orchestration (Robert Elhai, David Metzger, Bruce Fowler)
- Theater World Award for Max Casella
- " One of the best "
literature
- Julie Taymor : The Lion King - The Broadway Musical , USA 2001, ISBN 3-7704-0859-4
Web links
- The Lion King on the Internet Broadway Database (IBDb)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 11 facts about the Lion King musical . October 27, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ The Lion King Set For Southeast Asia Debut March 2011. In: Braodwayworld.com. June 21, 2010, accessed December 4, 2010 .
- ↑ www.thelionking.ch - "The original Broadway musical for the first time in Switzerland!" Retrieved October 8, 2014 .