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Tampa Crowd Goes Wild For Spectacular 'Lion King'

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (2005)

Timothy Carter as “Scar” and Dionne Randolph as “Mufasa” perform in The Lion King.

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By KEVIN WALKER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 12, 2008

Updated:

TAMPA - At this point, there's more to be learned about Disney's "The Lion King" by observing the crowd than by watching the show, which in its 11th season is familiar to millions worldwide.

The musical's enduring popularity could be explained in the first two minutes of the show on Saturday night. The crowd ranged from senior citizens to parents with children, from those "dressed for the theater" to the more relaxed jeans-and-short-sleeves crowd. As the lights went down, the packed house in Carol Morsani Hall began to cheer and, in some sections, whoop like Bruce Springsteen was about to take the stage.

Some shifted in their seats to look behind them. They knew what was coming: a parade of many of the show's animal characters from the back of the hall to the stage. As they flashed by, children grinned and adults clapped. The crowd, as they say, went wild. They remained engaged throughout the show, exploding into applause for all the good bits. It came as no surprise when, 21/2 hours later, the hall came to its feet to give the cast a standing ovation that lasted through two curtain calls.

In short, Disney's "The Lion King" remains a hit because it delivers the crowd-pleasing spectacle that it promises. At this point, if you have any inclination toward musical stage productions and you still haven't seen it, you are duty-bound to go. You'll enjoy the athletic dances, catchy tunes and imaginative staging and lighting.

But really, this show is about the costumes and the puppets.

There are more than 200 puppets in the show, many of them a human costume/puppet hybrid that has to be seen in action to be appreciated. Perhaps the strangest is Timon (played well in the Tampa engagement by Mark Shunock), in which the actor is garbed all in green and manipulates a 15-pound, full body puppet. It's hard to know where to look. The same sort of aesthetic powers the Zazu character - played here by veteran Tony Freeman, who performed the role for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway - in which the actor and the puppet work together for comic affect.

And that's just a taste. By the time the stage is full of costumed actors and puppets for the "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" number, it's hard to imagine how the show will top itself. But then it does.

The story, which hews closely to the movie, hits all the high notes of tragedy, romance and the importance of duty, all cued with songs that for the most part stick to the slick Elton John/Tim Rice model from the movie. There are some extraordinary vocal arrangements, particularly on the songs sung by the "lioness" characters and Rafiki.

Phindile Mkhize, a South African native who performs as Rafiki for the Tampa run, provides vocals that are nothing short of amazing. She's also quirky and funny.

Also distinguishing himself was Timothy Carter. The Kentucky native has the juicy role of Scar, and he makes the most of it, stalking the stage with the proper mix of malevolence and wit.

If there's a downside, it's that the constant bombardment of elaborate stage sets can be overwhelming (although one certainly shouldn't buy tickets to something called "The Lion King" expecting nuance and subtlety). And at two hours and 28 minutes - including an 18-minute intermission - the show runs a bit long for some of the smaller tykes and for some adults.

Small potatoes! Obviously the show is a winner and has the six Tony Awards to prove it. It remains something of a rarity in the theater world: a populist spectacle that attracts fans from a large cross-section of the populace. Just make sure to watch behind you - and be sure your feet aren't sticking out into the aisles.

ON STAGE

WHAT: Disney's "The Lion King"

WHERE: Carol Morsani Hall at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

WHEN: Through June 22. Performancesare Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Also, 2 p.m. June 19. There is no 6:30 show June 22.

HOW MUCH: $48-$133; (813) 229-STAR

Columnist Kevin Walker can be reached at (813) 259-7975 or kwalker@tampatrib.com.

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