From people I’d spoken to and ops I had read on Ciao I was expected to be blown away by ‘The Lion King’. I saw it on Thursday and though it was good I didn’t feel it was up to the hype surrounding it so thought I’d give an alternate side to all those rave reviews!
First what was great …
The puppetry and the way the animals were portrayed was fantastic - especially at the start of the show where most of the animals parade into the theatre. Best of all was a huge , and baby, elephant that ambled onto the stage! I enjoyed the fact that you could see exactly how the puppetry was being worked - there was no attempt to hide the person who formed part of the animal and controlled it’s actions. Also, these people were very good at conveying the movements of the animals they represented. It would have fascinating been for fans of dance and puppetry to watch.
There a couple of good songs , notably ‘can you feel the love tonight’ but nothing else really grabbed my attention. The show didn’t get me singing the songs to myself on the tube home ( usually a sure sign that I love a show!) The comical characters came across best of all and did make me laugh but those actors carrying the main part of the show ( the ‘lions’)didn’t really make me care whether or not there was a happy ending. I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t have to hide any tears - I just didn’t feel emotional about the show.
The kids in the audience seemed to enjoy the show - as I’ve said the animals were spectacular and drew gasps from nearby children and they, like me, loved the comical characters. There were also two child actors in the show who would appeal to budding young actors and actresses!
My parents have also seen the show with a different cast, and I do think the strength of the leads could affect how much you enjoyed the show. The ones we saw were ok but at times, it was difficult to hear the songs as their voices weren’t that strong.
I’m glad I saw the show as the creation of the animals was mindblowing. If you’re interested in seeing elephants, lions, deer, birds and ,many more come to life then go and see the show and you won’t be disappointed. If you’re after more of a musical than a visual extravaganza I’d say save your money - alternatively spend it on seeing ‘Les Miserables’ - that really
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Great review - Ive not seen this show before - i definitely will now
drunkenabby007 23.06.2002 17:09
great op. I've been wanting to see this for a while - just for the costumes and puppetry. Definately made me want to get tickets even more! Abby xxx
JeanetteMuff 06.06.2002 00:51
Plenty of detail on the show, shame you weren't captivated by it - that does happen sometimes, when you're expecting a lot from a production. Haven't seen it myself & only know a couple of numbers from it. Cheers! Jeanette
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Apr 7th, 2002
very helpful by (100%):
