What is there to say about one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history? Well, here's a new one: it has taken 11 years since The Lion King opened on Broadway, and this is its first appearance in Milwaukee. How can this be? For starters, the show had a lengthy run in Chicago many years ago (Chicago was the first stop for the first national tour). Due to some archaic rules about overlapping geography, The Lion King was basically "banned" from Milwaukee. The show's first appearance in the state was last year in Appleton, a small town about 90 minutes from Milwaukee. The new and gemlike performing arts center in Appleton was perfectly suited for The Lion King. Tickets to the 2,100-seat theater sold out quickly.
However, now playing in Milwaukee's cavernous Milwaukee Theater, The Lion King has not lost any of its joyful abandon or professional luster. If any show could blossom in the 4,000 theater (more than twice the size of its home on Broadway), it would be The Lion King. Indeed, the show's opening procession of animals is able to sweep down wide, wide aisles on its way to the stage. Birds "flying" overhead have plenty of room to flex their feathers. Even the enormous elephant easily navigates the terrain. However, that's part of the problem. The Milwaukee Theater is so large that The Lion King loses its sense of intimacy for anyone not sitting within 15 rows of the stage.
Aside from this drawback (and it's a big one), the Disney show sparkles as if it had just stepped off a Broadway stage. Small wonder, considering that many cast members have appeared in the Broadway show over the years. They've also appeared in international tours; in this case, the London tour, the Australian tour, and so forth. Many of the actors appeared in the tour that visited Appleton last year, as well. Wherever they come from, the cast members work damn hard to make this a joyful, colorful and musical experience unlike any other.
Specific mention must be made of a few cast members, such as Geno Segers (Mufasa). His massive build and low, rumbling voice are kingly in every sense. Alone with his young son, Simba, Mufasa's regal manner crumbles into the teasing of a playful father.
As the younger Simba, the role shifts between two child performers, and the older Simba is played by Clifton Oliver. This connection is an essential one, as it makes Simba's loss all the more potent when his father is trampled in a herd stampede. The evil Scar, who masterminds his brother's demise, is solidly portrayed by Kevin Gray. Finally, the lithe and soulful Nala, Simba's future bride, is beautifully rendered by Ta'Rea Campbell. The two superb actors make the love scene between Simba and Nala ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight") a treat to watch.
Although the gorgeous sets shift like clockwork, the real amazement is that the sound is so good in this huge space (a common complaint about this performing space in particular). So one can say that The Lion King not only looked so good, it sounded so good as well.
