There’s
a reason The Lion King is one of the
top five longest running Broadway shows. It’s a bulletproof stage franchise
that can withstand infinite cast changes and never lose its core ability to awe
and inspire.
While
this version now at PlayhouseSquare has a couple wrinkles that past touring
shows have avoided, the takeaway for repeat visitors or virgins is still
basically the same: The Lion King
rules.
From
the opening “Circle of Life” parade of creatures, featuring the jaw-dropping
human-animal hybrid puppetry imagined by director Julie Taymor (and Michael
Curry), your imagination is fully engaged.
Of
course, the story follows a predictable arc as the lion pup Simba grows into
adulthood after his father Mufasa is lured to his death by his evil little
brother Scar. Simba and Scar are destined to snarl at each other until their
final showdown, resolved in true Disney fashion.
Sure,
L. Steven Taylor as Mufasa and Patrick R. Brown as Scar are no James Earl Jones
and Jeremy Irons (the original voice actors for those parts in the animated
film), but they deliver all the heft required. And Brown snarls his craven
lion’s sarcasm with poisonous bile.
The
younger actors don’t quite pluck the heartstrings as they have in the past. But
the comedy duo of Timon the meerkat (Nick Cordileone) and Pumbaa the gastric
disaster/warthog sweep up all the laughs as they tiptoe around their new lion
pals.
The
music by Elton John and Tim Rice is, as always, powerful and uplifting, with
Tshidi Manye as the storyteller Rafiki adding some signature squeaks and trills
to her captivating performance.
The
only characters that are a bit disappointing are the three hyenas, who deliver
a lot of laugh lines. Amid all their laughing and cackling, the lines often are
muffled and indistinguishable.
However
that articulation slack is taken up by Andrew Gorell. He plays the hornbill
Zazu, the King’s chief advisor, with wry good humor and perfect enunciation.
In
the dense jungle of Broadway musicals, The
Lion King has earned it’s lofty status as one of the most popular shows
ever. And every visit here just reinforces that honored position.
The
Lion King
Through
August 4 at PlayhouseSquare, 1615 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000
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