Analysis on the Lion King on Broadway Essay

On February 26th 2016, I went out with my friend to saw this event. It was the first time of my life to be in such production. I was not a fan of theaters. I thought they are boring. Now, my mind has changed because the play was amazing. So, on the next day,

Young Simba’s costume is not as intricate as Scar’s to show that, Scar has an underlying plan whereas Simba is innocent.

In conclusion, this wonderful portrayal of a Disney film seeks to teach us about our own lives and who we are using wonderful techniques of puppetry and coordination. It is no surprise that they have won many awards and acclaims all over the world as they show us their wonderful sets and colors which include animals ranging from eighteen feet to 5 inches. Julie Taymor's wonderful philosophy of dual meanings really makes this a great family musical.

“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope,” said Mufasa, a supporting character in the film depiction of Walt Disney’s: The Lion King (1994). The Lion King is a timeless archetypal work that time after time has given youth hope and has shown them that courage is not always innate, but can be learned from just living life with a little “hakuna matata”. The Lion King, through the use of classic archetype, vivid surrealism, and iconic symbolism, shows a coming to age story that shows children that life is an adventure worth the trouble.

Though many reviewers like to focus on the comic relief characters of the movie: Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu, the characters that truly drove the movie were Simba and his conniving uncle, Scar. In one journal done by KINEMA a journal for film and audiovisual media, the writer describes how “... the physical portrayal of the two characters themselves already reveal their inner qualities” (KINEMA). Simba, at least as a child, is seen around vibrant colors, and the character himself is always energetic. Scar on the other hand, is always seen with poor posture and grim lighting (KINEMA). The way these two contrast throughout the movie, and then collide with their colors in the final fight scene of the movie, really ties the film together in a way that no other characters could.

One of the main magic’s of the theatre is for the audience to go into it unaware of what they will see, and exit with a whole new view in mind. This is still possible in jukebox musicals even if the audience member is familiar with some of the songs. Songs, text, and all literature can be interpreted in different ways based on the individual. Theatre is meant for all different people to enjoy. Some may like going to a show featuring songs that their favorite artists wrote or that speak to a memorable time of their life. It becomes a discussion about how the audience can relate to the characters.

Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain let alone share the same television waves or stage. But over time the strength of the expectant black actors and actresses overwhelmed the majority force to stop blacks from appearing on film. For the longest time the performing arts were

On November 5, 2016, the opening night of Beauty and the Beast for the gold cast performed on the vibrant stage of the Performing Arts Center in Cookeville. Under the direction and choreography of Jennifer Welch, the Children’s Theatre of Cookeville took on a Disney classic originally directed by the Tony-Nominated Robert Jess Roth. Filled with excitement due to the fact I knew many of the actors and actresses, I was throughly impressed from the acting, costumes, and set design just to name a few. This visual work of art, left not just people devoted to the “tale as old as time” casually humming show tunes as they left the theatre.

The Woodington Players have been working on this production since the beginning of January. The Woodington Players have always wanted to do this musical and according to Mrs. Bialkin “ We have the right people for the right roles,” so it was finally time to do it. The leads are played by Damon Vincenty as the Scarecrow, Muhammed Muhsin as the Lion, Dave Russo as the Tin Man, Emma Scholes as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Melissa Rissetto as Glinda.

A trip to 42nd street circa 1990 was certainly no destination fit for a family. Walls of graffiti adorn the peeling awnings of storefronts and theatres promise private dances and live nude women. Porn shops dotted the city block with colorful invitations to sex hotlines and signs prohibiting entry to anyone under the age of eighteen (Wollman 445). Decades earlier, during the Prohibition era, speakeasies and brothels lined the city, creating New York’s red light district. Today’s Times Square, however, bares no hint of resemblance to its former image of sleaze and mystery. Neon lights that once illustrated silhouettes of burlesque dancers have since been fashioned into the welcoming faces of cartoon characters. Signs visible

“Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba.” This was the first thing I heard as I was sitting in my seat at the Majestic theatre, watching The Lion King. I think The Lion King will fall under Musical theatre. The Lion King would fall under this category because it has many songs from ‘The Circle of Life’ to ‘Hakuna Matata’ to ‘King of Pride Rock/Circle of Life’ by Elton John. This musical would be a tragic and comedic type of play because of the death of Mufasa, Simba’s dad or when Timon, a muskrat, and Pumbaa, a Warthog, dress Pumbaa as a roasted pig, to distract the hyenas from seeing

It is said in the textbook that Broadway “refers specifically to plays performed in the large theatre” (Wilson 34). Broadway is larger than off- Broadway and also off-off-Broadway; it is considered the elite and tickets are more expensive of all of the other types of Broadway theatres, because they spend a lot more creating, running plays and the salary of the actors. Furthermore, “theatre companies have been formed, and theatre facilities built, for the continuing presentation of high-quality professional productions to local residents. The performers, directors and designers are generally high-caliber artists who make theatre their Full-time profession’ (Wilson 35). While off- Broadway theatre holds fewer seats than Broadway theatre, it

Doing the Lion King was a great experience for me and probably for other people as well. One thing that surprised me is that I did something that I would have never expected I would actually like doing. At first, I thought doing a Musical would be stupid and a waste of time, but it was the total opposite of that! The only thing that I did not like about getting ready for the musical, was the summative grading for the choreography. The reason for this, is that I was downgraded because I am not a very good dancer, and two out of three songs we got graded on were songs we ended up not dancing to as a class anyway. Despite this, I do think it is necessary because if they would not have been summative, kids would not have tried their hardest as

The performances touch the heart and soul of everybody. The animated film of the lion king holders a special memory in the

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to watch Les Miserables at Imperial Theater. Les Miserables is play based on Victor Hugo’s award winning novel. I must admit that the play made me realize the great stories that will continue be told in mass media for years to come. Much to my astonishment, the characters in the play essentially delivered a great show, ranging from their acting to their singing.