The Circle of Life

Last night, I saw Disney's The Lion King with two students from Georgia.

Before the show, we wandered down into Covent Garden for dinner. We happened upon a small Italian restaurant that looked cozy and affordable. I ordered trout in a white wine sauce, which was delicious, and we all shared a bottle of red wine. The service was wonderful, as well. It was fun to sit down to a quiet dinner and get to know two of my fellow students that much better.

The show was quite the spectacle. The first number, "The Circle of Life," was breathtaking. I have read about and seen pictures of the way they portray all the animals, but it was amazing to see in living color. The giraffes were my favorite. Clearly, no expense was spared on the production and costume design (in true Disney form). The set was very intricate. I haven't been that amazed by a set since Les Miserables' rotating platform and interchangeable set parts. And I was particularly impressed by the performers who played the three hyenas, as the manipulation of their costumes appeared incredibly difficult.

The story line follows the movie exactly, but it has been years since I've seen it so the story packed a few surprises. I had forgotten about the wildebeest stampede, which was probably my favoite set piece. The music is fun (the featured percussion players located in the balcony were exciting to watch just in and of themselves), but unlike The Producers, I didn't go home singing the songs. To me, that's the biggest drawback of the show. I agree with what H told me--it's worth it to see the spectacle and amazing set and costumes, but once you've "been there, done that," you feel little urge to see it again.