Lioness dancers as part of The Lion King
The Lion King
Bushnell Center for Performing Arts
Hartford
Nove. 14, 2024
The Lion King has returned to the Bushnell Center for performing arts for the first time in years. If you have the ability, go see it. It’s a triumph of staging and storytelling for all ages of the family.
The Lion King sticks pretty close to the story in the animated 1994 version. That’s hardly a bad thing, since it’s one of the best stories Disney has ever told.
The young prince Simba is framed for the death of his father by his conniving uncle Scar, who wants to rule Pride Rock for himself. After years in the wilderness with his friends Timon and Pumba, his childhood friend Nala and the mysterious Rafiki convince Simba to return to Pride Rock, challenge Scar, and take his rightful place as king.
The Lion King remains timeless because its themes transform for the viewers depending on their vantage point. As a child, I loved the movie because of the songs and the humor. As an adult, I connect more with the themes of responsibility and death. It’s true that Simba never asked to be king, and his hakuna matata lifestyle lets him avoid that part of himself for a while. But eventually we all have to accept responsibilities we can’t escape, and take joy in living up to meeting the needs of those around us.
Until last night, Mufasa’s death was simply a part of the plot. But this is the first time I’ve watched The Lion King in years, and I’m both older and a father. Someday my son will also have to make his way in the world without me. Have I shared a set of values and beliefs that will guide him in my absence the way that Mufasa did for his son?
This is why it never gets old watching a story, because it always has the capacity to teach something new and force new self-reflection. It also doesn’t hurt to view it with the magnificent staging and production the show is known for. The animals of Pride Rock come to life thanks to the incredible performers who make giraffes tower over the savannah, hyenas stalk the shadows with giddy menace and even make the grass sway along to the beat of the music.
Especially impressive are Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki and Peter Hargrove as Scar. They’re two sides of the performance coin. Goba is bright and joyful, embodying the exuberance and humor of Rafiki the shaman. When the story requires her to be somber or serious, she fits right into those roles as well, all the while making the audience laugh with her boisterous actions and proclamations.
Hargrove’s Scar is even more sardonic than his movie counterpart, but he lights up the stage with his wit. His physicality is subdued (he claims to abhor violence), but his body moves with the tension of a coiled snake ready to strike, befitting of Scar as a skulking manipulator. When he flips his mask down, Hargrove completely disappears and all that’s left is the dark ambition of the one who would be king, by any means necessary.
There’s a reason The Lion King continues to be the #1 musical in the world. Go see why for yourself.
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The Lion King continues at the Bushnell through Dec. 1.
Jamil tries to get into the holiday spirit with Red One.
Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki.