'Lion King' roars at Mandalay Bay Theatre
If you’re looking to take a walk on the wild side while in Las Vegas, you might want to saunter over to Mandalay Bay, which is about to unleash a “mane” event of large proportions.
The Lion King will open officially on May 15, marking Disney’s major debut into the Las Vegas market. This production will be the original full-concept of the show, akin to the consistently sold-out one on Broadway seen by 45 million worldwide — which is why this production promises to be a roaring success.
Las Vegas audiences will be able to experience the visually stunning musical in which 40 actors recreate the African Pridelands with breath-taking costumes and vibrant Oscar-winning music.
Many know the storyline: Lion cub Simba flees while blaming himself for his father’s accidental death, then returns from exile to avenge his wicked Uncle Scar and reclaim his kingdom. But most don’t know what it took to transform the mega-successful movie into a stage show that has now played in 11 countries.
For one man, Thomas Schumacher, who operates Disney Theatrical Productions, it has long been a matter of “pride.”
“I have continuously worked on ‘The Lion King’ for 18 years,” Schumacher explains. “I was the first producer of the movie. I was given an orphan film called ‘King of the Beasts’ about a war between lions and baboons. There was no music: It was more like an animated National Geographic. The problem was that lions don’t do much activity — they sleep, eat, then sleep again.
"So I went to lyricist Tim Rice and asked him if he could help me turn it into a musical, which no one thought it could ever be. But Tim came together with Elton John; they wrote the music, and the film was a smash — it was translated into 32 languages. It was a phenomenon.”
When Michael Eisner, then head of Disney, asked him to put it on stage, Schumacher brought in Julie Taymor, who became the director (subsequently winning a Tony Award), costume designer, mask/puppet co-designer and who provided additional lyrics for the music. She conceived of how to take something so deeply rooted in film language and transfer it to the stage.
"The Circle of Life which circles throughout the show, is an allegorical event,” Schumacher notes. “It’s actually a double event that celebrates the essence of animals with humans."
Actors wear animal masks, so that the audience aways sees both the human and animal aspects, he said. "Julie made Rafiki, the baboon, the soul of the show, bringing us all together.”
Can you feel the love tonight?
You can purchase tickets online or by calling (877) 632-7400.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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