• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

Lion King on Broadway will make you put down the controller, and turn away from the cinema

Meus Renaissance

Meus Renaissance

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,074
L7xS9xs.jpg

It's difficult to describe it, so I'll try.

The theatre is pitch black before a spotlight hits the stage, and a piercing vocal harmony begins followed by another spotlight high above you - and then another to your far right as a melody begins. You're quickly overwhelmed with one of the most gorgeous opening sequences that claw at the back of your mind, digging into your nostalgia, as you witness one stage recreate an African plain covered in sunset.

The setpieces...the costumes...you're on your feet joining the rapturous applause for just the first scene. It's pricey, and that is the only sad thing about it, but you'll never get the same high, the same rush and thrill from any screen than you will seeing the Lion King on stage.

2bef7d80ab895accbd0f66a946765af9.gif
 
Last edited:
Ultryx

Ultryx

Member
Oct 27, 2017
959
United States
The Lion King was my first full-broadway experience. Much like Hamilton, I wish I could relive those moments again and again.

Adding more theatre to my collection this summer though. I have tickets for Les Miserables (there was no way I would miss this opportunity) and The Phantom of the Opera.

Edit: Our Rafiki was fucking transcendent.
 
Landy828

Landy828

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,417
Clemson, SC
It was great, and my kids loved it.

I'm still going to play games and watch movies though...:-p

I really want to see Hamilton.
 
gaogaogao

gaogaogao

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,679
unless I can watch a video of it on my tv, no it wont. I already dont go to the movies much.
 
astro

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
56,972
I hate musicals and I'm always wondering if the childhood trauma of being in one at school is preventing me from experiencing something wonderful
 

Deleted member 36578

Dec 21, 2017
26,561
astro said:
I hate musicals and I'm always wondering if the childhood trauma of being in one at school is preventing me from experiencing something wonderful
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Lol!!! In elementary school we were forced into musicals and stage plays as well. Never liked them myself but now I'm wondering the same thing.
 
Zach

Zach

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,712
The Lion King is cool. Amazing costumes. And The Book of Mormon was fun, too.

Looking forward to seeing Hamilton next year here in Tulsa.
 
Aaron

Aaron

I’m seeing double here!
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,077
Minneapolis
tbh I don't understand how anyone "hates" musicals. Maybe you just haven't found one you liked?

The Lion King on Broadway is awesome.

Wish I could see Hamilton but all the tickets for the touring production here in Minneapolis sold out in about five seconds, and the going rates were expensive as hell.
 
baskcm

baskcm

Member
Oct 27, 2017
844
I and the future wife are going to new york for our honeymoon in July is this worth a punt
 
Delusibeta

Delusibeta

Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,648
Considering it's been performed for over two decades at Broadway: yeah, it's probably really good.
 
astro

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
56,972
Aaron said:
tbh I don't understand how anyone "hates" musicals. Maybe you just haven't found one you liked?

The Lion King on Broadway is awesome.

Wish I could see Hamilton but all the tickets for the touring production here in Minneapolis sold out in about five seconds, and the going rates were expensive as hell.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I have not found one I like. I have only found ones I hate.

So yes, you are correct!
 
kingocfs

kingocfs

Member
Oct 25, 2017
602
New York
Never saw the one on Broadway, but the show they do in Animal Kingdom is wonderful so I'm not surprised this one is also good.
 
Pirateluigi

Pirateluigi

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,871
Fun story! If you've seen the show, you know just how amazing the cheetah puppet is. Well, in high school, the class got to meet some of the performers, including one of the women who played a cheetah. A girl asked her, "How do you embody the cheetah so well? It looks so real"

The performer replied, "I always remember one word: clitoris."
 
Dyle

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
29,945
It's pretty good. At this point the stage direction seems kind of old hat, who hasn't seen at least one of the dozens of tours this has done around the US?, but it's still a really good production. The songs were never memorable to me though, which was always the big setback. The ones from the movie are better
 

Deleted member 4247

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,896
Will it also buy me a plane ticket to NYC?

Nah, would love to see this. It was playing both times I was there I think (I guess it's always playing?), but it wasn't on my itinerary.
 
SeanM

SeanM

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,433
USA
I've been wanting to go but those ticket prices are quite expensive, every time I checked the seats in the first half of the theater were like $200+ (not sure how good the view would be in the "cheap" seats).

And I imagine those prices will probably increase even further once the Lion King remake hype train starts.
 
Malleymal

Malleymal

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,301
Loved everything about the lion king play. That and Hamilton sit atop my favorite plays. I am looking forward to Harry Potter on Broadway in a couple of weeks though. Hopefully that is good as well.
 
George c

George c

Member
Dec 1, 2017
192
Wow what's that thing you call when you see something and outta nowhere people being it up when that never happened before?

Just went to my first Broadway play yesterday and this was it in Orlando.

Ultryx said:
Edit: Our Rafiki was fucking transcendent.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I would suspect that the one we watched was the same cause I got Goosebumps watching her perform with my wife.
 
WarAdept

WarAdept

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,298
Australia
The Lion King was one of the weaker musicals I've seen and I've seen it twice in 2 different countries. The arrangements for some of the songs didn't feel as grand as the movie, Be Prepared being the main perpetrator.

It's better than Aladdin that's for sure. Terrible rushed 2nd act.

As people above have said, Book of Mormon blows it out of the water. Or Hamilton. Or Les Mis. Wicked.
 
Acerac

Acerac

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,218
I had a lot of fun when I watched it. Scar almost running over Mufasa on his giant cliff after their fateful encounter was something I won't soon forget... props to the staff for acting quickly and not letting the hiccup ruin the show, they have some real pros working there.
 
lojo

lojo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
573
Lion King was the first Broadway show I went to and I loved it.

Hamilton is coming to my city next year and I hope I can get tickets for it.
 

ISOM

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
2,684
RoadHazard said:
Will it also buy me a plane ticket to NYC?

Nah, would love to see this. It was playing both times I was there I think (I guess it's always playing?), but it wasn't on my itinerary.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Lion King has been a show for 15+ years. It was there when I was in high school in 2005. So you're good for awhile.
 
Renna Hazel

Renna Hazel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,579
I remember this being a great show, but I haven't seen it in over 15 years I think. Broadway is mad expensive so I wont be seeing it again unless someone else is paying. It's worth it to see it once though.
 

Critch

Banned
Dec 10, 2017
1,360
Meh, felt like a shadowcast without the movie behind it. Would rather see Hamilton or almost any other musical. Great production values but I'd rather just pop in the cartoon.

The only thing that kept it from being the worst musical I've seen is I also have seen Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, and Cats.
 
ReplacementPelican

ReplacementPelican

Member
Oct 29, 2017
4,058
Bit late to the party there OP or are we riding the Africa high of Black Panther here on Era?

Either way, I love it. Saw it in the West End when I was younger, may well go and see it again sometime. Can't believe how long it's been running.
 
Simba

Simba

Member
Nov 25, 2017
2,217
I finally got to see it back in 2014. Was a lovely show, I definitely want to see it again.

That and Aladdin on broadway + Hamilton.
 

Deleted member 4247

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,896
Are they replacing the actors as they go? Are there some people who have been doing this show for 15 years?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.