BWW Interviews: LION KING's John Stefaniuk

The Lion King roared back into Toronto on Wednesday night at The Princess of Wales Theatre. The majestic show was last in seen in this city almost a decade ago, where it enjoyed a solid four year run before closing in 2004. It is back for a limited run until June 12th and it is as glorious and magical as ever. Under the careful eye of Associate Director John Stefaniuk, the show has returned in top form, just as good as it ever was. There are still new sights to be seen, new sounds to be heard and new adventures to be found in the African Savannah that has taken over Toronto's Entertainment District. BWW spoke with John about the unique challenges of touring a show of this magnitude, and about how he hopes Toronto will react to The Lion King this time around:

Congratulations on The Lion King's return to Toronto. You hail from Toronto, what is it like getting to bring the show back to your hometown?

For me, there is nothing that gives me more pride than coming back with something that I've been working on for so long and getting to share it with my home. I didn't work on it back during its initial run, and it's hard working on a show in so many different places but never where you are from. I try and describe to my family and friends just what it is that I do - but now I get to show them. So it's exciting and makes me really proud.

The last time The Lion King was in Toronto it was a sit-down production, what kinds of differences can audiences expect now that they are seeing a tour instead?

There are differences, but they are handled quite well. The thing about the show is that when we develop the tour we were conscientious to not take anything away that would take away from the story. We pain-stakingly look at the show so that we are able to keep the vision alive. When people have seen it on Broadway, in Toronto and in London England and then see it on tour (for example), they never realize there are tiny differences in the physical production. That's because we have an incredible company of performers and their energy is what the audience relates to - that way when you make small changes they don't even realize it.

Obviously touring a show of this scale must be a difficult undertaking, is there anything uniquely hard about moving it around that we might not think of?

Well obviously there are a lot of big pieces and costumes, but we get used to packing it up and moving it around. When we get to a new theatre and are at the loading bag, there are these huge packing crates that say "zebra" "elephant" "giraffe" etc. It's such an amazing sight; I can't think of many shows that flip open their trucks to reveal a moving zoo. But it actually occurs quite seamlessly, because we have got it down to a science.

You got your start in theatre as an actor, would a show such as The Lion King ever be one you would want to do?

I was an actor but I don't ever find myself hankering to go back in any role or show. I'm much better at what I do now than what I did then. I have a better ability to see what I can do with others than what I can do within myself. What I love about my job is that when I work with a group of performers I get to really bring out the best of them. When you strike a chord or spark a flame in someone it's a great feeling. To encourage them to draw upon their own life and bring out a piece of themselves, that is when a show really lives. Ultimately, that is what theatre is all about; it's a personal and live experience. Not a replication of something done over and over again, it's about going out on a limb and connecting to emotional material. When you can help an actor do that and share with the audience and others on the stage, that's better than what acting could ever be for me. I'm not just one character, I get to be all of them.

The Lion King was originally directed by Julie Taymour. 13 years later, how involved is she?

She will always be a huge part of the show. She's a very collaborative spirit. She's been wonderful and very trusting with the piece. She will come to auditions and rehearse with the company when her schedule allows it. And every time she visits she inspires something in a different way. That is what's most important to her - taking what a specific group of people have to offer and making the best of that. Not replicating what happened thirteen years ago, but inspiring these specific actors to do their best. That's what I try and do every single day as well.

It has been almost a decade since The Lion King was last here in Toronto - how do you hope Toronto audiences respond to it this time around?

Well, for those who have already seen it, I really hope they come back and see the show again. There is always so much to see and so many different layers in terms of the story. This is a show that will really catch people in different parts of their lives. If you've lost a parent, or had a child - these are things that happen to you and change how you feel and react to the piece. In a way that makes the audience part of the circle of life that we speak of in the show. Where you were ten years ago is not where you are today, you aren't the same person so you won't experience the show the same way.

For those who haven't seen it, I hope they come out because it really is a theatre experience unlike any other. It tells the story in so many different and unique ways. You get to see this incredible spectacle during The Circle of Life and then a two-dimensional shadow mouse but yet it is all a clear part of the story. That is the magic of this show, its story telling on every level. That's what makes it guttural and why people respond so well to the piece.

When and Where?

Disney's The Lion King

The Princess of Wales Theatre

Performance Schedule:

April 19th - Jun 12th, 2011

Tues - Sat 7:30 PM; Sat 2:00PM
Sun 1:00 & 6:30 PM

Special Wednesday Weekday Matinees 2PM:
April 20, May 18, May 25, June 1, June 8

Sunday 6.30PM Evenings:
May 1, May 8, May 15, May 29 and June 5.

There will be no performance on Tuesday May 24 & May 31, 2011

Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 416-872-1212 or online at www.mirvish.com/thelionking

 

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