'The Lion King:' More Very Welcome Broadway On The Strip

The Lion King has opened in the theater at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and it is — in brief — an astonishing show, made more astonishing because it is here in Las Vegas (a statement further explained below).

Twelve years after its opening on Broadway, there is little left to say that hasn't been said. Take all the adjectives used at other times and in other places — stunning, innovative, gorgeous, etc. — and they can be applied to this production. Since it opened on Broadway in 1998, I've resisted seeing it because, simply, it didn't interest me. A show made from a Disney animated film? That is as enticing  as making a film based on a Disney theme park ride. It'd never work! And it wouldn't be interesting.

Of course I was wrong. On both counts.

The big fuss locally here in Las Vegas is the length of the show. Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular was truncated from it's two-and-a-half hour running time elsewhere to 95 minutes here. That, along with the fact that it is so beautifully produced and performed here, make it an only-in-Las Vegas experience. Jersey Boys in Las Vegas runs its full two-hours-and-fifteen minutes with intermission*. No one complains. Yet, with The Lion King so many, many writers here have made an issue of the fact that it is two-and-a-half hours (including 15 minute intermission). All I can say is that it never slows, always pleases and the time whizzes by. There's just so much else to talk about.

First, the production itself. Every value that makes it spectacular on Broadway is intact in Las Vegas. Sets, costumes, performance — all would stand up anywhere in the world.

Second, the performances. According to the MGM Mirage PR department, the cast includes 10 Broadway alumni; 26 from the national tour; five people from the South African company; nine performers in all from South Africa and Buyi Zama, who is so wonderful as Rafiki has been in seven international productions of THE LION KING: London, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, South Africa, Taipei and the National Tour.

Ten year-old Elijah Johnson played the young Simba at the performance we saw and he has it all — talent, presence and wit. Watching children onstage is not a favorite activity of mine but he makes me want to reevaluate that stance. As noted above Buyi Zama, from the first note, is perfect. Her voice demands that you listen and you won't forget it.

Thom Sema as Scar, Alton F. White as Mufasa, Damian Baldet as Timon the Meerkat and hhis partner Adam Kozlowski as Pumbaa the Warthog, Kissy Simmons and Clifton Oliver as the grown-up Nala and Simba — are all  perfect. Notable to me was the presence of Patrick Kerr. As a fan of Frasier (on which he played Noel) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (on which he played Michael) it was lots of fun seeing him here as Zazu. If they hadn't said so, one would never relate him to those parts. Like everyone else in this cast he disappears into his character, making each animal alive with human qualities and, thus, making the story of what happens to these characters so important and relatable to the audience.

(By the way, this is also one of those rare shows that (as I feel is true of the Cirque du Soleil show KÀ) holds up even if you don't care about the plot. The costumes, the sets and the way they are used are so fascinating, just sitting and watching is an adventure. Fortunately, here, the audience does care. But the technology and its execution is so fascinating that it is a show in itself.)

The Lion King in Las Vegas is not in any sense of the word a mere "road" company. This is a high-caliber show that we are lucky to have here.

Disney's The Lion King is performed Saturday through Thursday at 8 pm. On Saturday and Sunday there are also 4 pm matinees. Tickets are priced at $168.50, $113.50, $86.00 and $53.00. Call 877-632-7400 or visit www.mandalaybay.com.

*Someone posted a comment on this review saying my information about Jersey Boys is an "error." So, of course, I checked. I was essentially correct. The show at The Palazzo runs its full length. The intermission is truncated by seven minutes (from 15 to eight minutes) — if that makes a difference, I apologize for the error.

Photo by John Gurzinski

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