I am not by any means a Disney fan. In fact, until Ron DeSantis picked a stupid fight with them, I thought Disney was a cult. Well, it is, but they also are harmless, unless taking your money and holding you hostage pisses one off.
The Lion King is in Omaha for one more week after opening a month ago. I've never seen it; Max's Mom and Max have so it was my turn. I expected nothing other than typical Disney over the top entertainment I was ready to hate it. Oops. I loved it.
The familiar story of the King Mufasa, the evil Scar, the young Simba and Nala, the grown-up Simba and Nala, the comic relief of the parrot Zazu, the wise cracking warthog Pumbaa and the even wiser cracking cat Timon, along with the crazy hyenas. The story is murder, a power grab, a flight to safety, and the return to claim a rightful crown. Thats it.
The spectacle of the set, the costumes, the animals, the puppeteers, it is really mind boggling. From the opening of the familiar chant from the storyteller Rifiki, and the parade of characters down the aisle, I was hooked. Enchanted maybe. I watched in wonder, and I really have no wonder any longer. There were fewer songs than I thought. But the music was constant, including drummers in the Lincoln seats right in front of us, including a brief appearance by Zazu. It's a freakin must see.
The performances were great. Peter Hargrave as the evil Scar has a deep and powerful voice. Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa has a sense of power onstage during his Act One only scenes. But the unsung heroes of this massive production are Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki and 10-year-old Mase Lawson as the young Simba. Goba's chanting and singing, and narration is something you cannot get enough of. And this kid, Mase, is a phenom in his powerful voice and is even better acting. You will be hearing from him. Christ, he's only 10?
There's only 4 days left to see this. As a professional Disney cynic, they finally beat me. Beat me like a drum.
2 comments:
The Disney piece was particularly well-written. I had a similar experience in the '90s when I went to a conference at Florida Disney and chose to stay in one of the lower cost family apartments that was a long walk from the conference HQ, but was quiet and offered lots of space I didn't need but used anyway. It also offered a short walk to low-cost family food, and since I grew up in a low cost family, I had a great meal every night, filling my tray with traditional American lower-middle class fare. I swear my late Mom was working in the kitchen, just as she had done at my elementary school. Yeah, Disney won me over.
johnthebasket
Great story...thanks for the input
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