Mom and I celebrated Mother’s Day on Saturday. The entire day was orchestrated by her second-born, my brother, who bought us tickets to The Lion King at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, and even pre-paid for our lunch at Hey Lucy, across King St. where our server kindly charged my dying iPhone battery.
When The Lion King was winning so many Tony awards on Broadway and packing the house in Toronto in 2004, it didn’t really hit my personal radar. I enjoyed the movie but didn’t see the stage version and I can’t remember why. Â But brother Kevin had seen it and wanted to make sure that we experienced it, too. What a wonderful gift!
After the last play hubby and I took in – well, half took in because we left at intermission – I decided I was done with watching semi-talented actors stare off into the distance from the edge of the stage while contemplating the first-world-problems of their lives. Â Musicals have started leaving me cold, Â as every singer seems to warble in a nasally tone at a consistent 10 no matter how emotional or tender the tune. Â Not so with The Lion King. Maybe it’s partly because we already know the songs from the movie, or maybe it’s just a higher calibre of performers, but to call it exceptional is an understatement.
I felt like a little kid making a discovery! That sense of wonder took me over as the house lights dimmed and the parade of animals, all beautifully costumed and performed by people, came down the aisles toward the stage, singing a fusion of African chants and the refrain from The Circle of Life. The theatre was packed with families and every child wasn’t just quiet, but spellbound, as were we, through the whole performance. Â Even the insanity of Toronto construction/traffic/endless flow of pedestrians couldn’t wipe the smile off our faces. It’s a Mother’s Day I’ll never forget.
Yes, I saw the Lion King the first time it was in Toronto and agree with your comments. So well done.
I understand that Wicked is coming to Toronto again. I gave tickets to my daughter and her husband for Christmas the first time around and kick myself for not going……I won’t miss it this time. It is supposed to be very good (from several sources). If you are looking for another excuse to visit Toronto, it may be a good one.
Didn’t you have a huge lump in your throat from the opening strains of that famous score?!? SO inspiring and just flat-out entertaining! What they do with those puppets makes you forget there are people behind them, although the actors themselves are also just incredible. And yes, Brenda, you will not be disappointed by Wicked. It truly does defy gravity and you’re going to love it!!!
I just can’t get over how it filled me with a feeling of being a kid discovering something for the first time. It was awe-inspiring. I had the same reaction that Tim Rice did to the idea of a Lion King musical – it can’t be done. Boy, were we wrong!