Tuesday, November 28, 2000
The Lion King, tour, Pantages Theatre - LA (2000)
Cast: Rufus Bonds, Jr. (Mufasa), KaRonn A. Henderson (Young Simba), Clifton Oliver (Simba), Moe Daniels (Nala), and an amazing cast
The costumes and sets of The Lion King are absolutely amazing and that is probably the only reason this show got the Tony award for best musical in 1998. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Disney movies and I think The Lion King has very good music by Elton John & Tim Rice. I think they make a wonderful team and that Julie Taymor made the animals of the pride lands look amazingly real with her award winning costumes. I don't think that's enough to make this the best musical of the year.
I do, however, think it's great that Disney is making musicals to help parents introduce their children to musical theatre. Anything that introduces children to this wonderful art form is a good thing. I hope that they will continue to make musicals on stage the children will love. When I was younger, I had Annie. Now, kids have The Lion King & Beauty and the Beast. I don't consider the new ones on the same level as those I had when I was younger, but they achieve the same purpose of providing a show that children and parents can enjoy together and I think that's wonderful!
Grade: B-Labels: 2000, Best Musical, Disney, drama, Elton John, family, musical, tour