BWW Reviews: THE LION KING - An Amazing Show that Falls Flat in Melbourne

At the heart of the Disney Empire sits the Lion King, a musical that has the potential to transcend all shows that have preceded it and subsequently, since its 1997 opening, have succeeded it. Julie Taymor's visual smorgasbord has the ability to inspire children and move adults like very few shows can. While at its very best the musical can achieve this, at Melbourne's opening night it did not. With the invention and enhancement of technology over the past 18 years, musicals now have the potential to wow us on supreme levels. They are bigger and better and constantly striving to give us something that will impress us more than the show that has come before it. For this reason, the wholeheartedly similar, yet slightly tweaked version of The Lion King seems old and somewhat outdated. Yes its opening Circle of Life sequence is and will remain quite possibly the greatest opening to a show we are likely to see, but from that moment on things started to unravel slightly. This new version of the show has cut Zazu's (Cameron Goodall) Morning Report leaving a substantial amount of dead time between The Circle of Life and I Just Can't Wait to Be King. There are more of these dull moments throughout the course of the evening, which make little or no sense to the advancement of the plot. It's one thing to try and enhance a long running show (think the re-adaptation and staging of Les Miserables,) but when it doesn't actually advance the show then the point of the exercise seems futile.

The biggest issue with opening night however, was the sound. The balance between orchestra and performer was in complete opposition for the entire performance. The vocals remained desperately low throughout the show, so much so that lyrics were, at times, impossible to comprehend. This, on a show where the majority of the audience knows the songs is an indictment. It's not what is expected from a musical that has forged a reputation in delivering the highest quality performance and production. Certain performances and characters may as well have been singing the ABC, for while their mouth was moving, nothing was audible.

The artistic achievements of costume, hair, make up and scenic design provide for a visually pleasing show. The intricacy and precision of these elements are at the core of the piece. It provides the heart through which each performer beats and at this performance they beat to varying degrees. Goodall's Zazu is perhaps the highlight of the evening. His physical comedy is thrilling to absorb as are his puppetry skills. Rob Collins (Mufasa) and Josh Quong Tart (Scar) deliver particularly strong performances in They Live in You and Be Prepared and Jamie McGregor's Timon is a delight, his longevity in the role clearly on display with a brilliantly executed comedic performance. Nick Afoa's (Simba) energy is a welcome addition to Act 2 of the musical, though he struggled vocally towards the end of Endless Night, the same can't be said for Josslynn Hlenti (Nala) whose Shadowland was vocally dynamic and tonally stunning, though again far too quiet. Nao Tse Tsa performed hauntingly by Buyi Zama (Rafiki), Marvette Williams (Sarabi) and Annette Tran (Young Nala) provides the musical highlight of the evening. While each performance has its strengths, at times the balance between puppet and performer seemed askew in that the focus was heavily on the performer rather than the puppet which drew the eye and took away from the continuity of the story.

There is no doubt that The Lion King will go down in history as one of the greatest musicals of our lifetime. It is a generational show that will span decades. The importance with a show like this is that it is afforded the care and love that not only maintains its quality, but enhances it. For while the supremely talented cast of singers and dancers are upholding their end of the bargain, it was, on this occasion, the technical side of the show, which dropped the ball. There is no doubt that the enormity of The Lion King, will mean that this issue wont impact on it financially through a lack of ticket sales, but rather on the legacy of the product that has so successfully come before this production. Let us hope it can be rectified as quickly as possible so that the heart and beauty of this piece can unfold as it was designed to 18 years ago.

The Lion King

Regent Theatre Melbourne

Until November 1

www.ticketmaster.com.au/thelionking

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