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‘Lion King’ opens at the Civic Center
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. Grade: B -
I couldn’t feel the love last night. For “The Lion King,” I mean. Could you feel it?
And what about the maddening, 20-minute wait to get out of the overclogged parking lot at the end of the long, three-hour show? Couldn’t feel much love for that, either. Just try squeezing out of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center at the 11 o’clock hour, and you’ll know what it’s like to be chased and crushed by a herd of raging wildebeests.
Good day.
Hakuna Matata, everyone.
Let me tell you about Disney’s “Lion King,” which opened its month-long run at the Civic Center Saturday night, courtesy of Broadway Across America-Atlanta.
To rewind for a moment:
In 1997, director Julie Taymor turned a beloved animated feature with music by Elton John into a one-of-a-kind visual achievement that used puppets and masks to express the exotic animal beauty of Africa in human terms. Here was a show where dazzling spectacle, design and dance (by choreographer Garth Fagan) took centerstage. And the score hit just enough high notes to provide an emotionally satisfying experience.
“Lion King” took home six Tony Awards, including best musical of 1998, and Disney has been trying to recapture the magic ever since. (See “Aida,” “Tarzan” and “The Little Mermaid”).
The problem is, “The Lion King” has been so imitated and recycled on stages everywhere that the original is starting to feel a little dated. If you haven’t seen the graceful gazelles, elegant giraffes and regal lions and lionesses of Pride Rock, by all means check ‘em out. And take the kids, who will be filled with awe and wonder and tickled by the cartoon schtick. Just don’t go expecting some deep and profound insights from this fuzzy-sounding, over-amplified, vocally uneven touring ensemble.
As a story, “The Lion King” has a fool-proof narrative structure.
Like some Jacobean tragedy moved to the jungle, the tale of noble king Mufasa, his evil and ambitious brother, Scar, and his prodigal son, Simba, is a meditation on power, revenge and the triumph of good. Nature, and the spirit of ancestors, live on in a never-ending cycle of rebirth and renewal. You know, “The Circle of Life.”
On this tour, the second ever to stop in Atlanta, Gainesville native Dionne Randolph makes for a handsome Mufasa and has a voice of rich caramel. Timothy Carter’s Scar is appropriately sinister and weird; it’s impossible to like Scar, but it’s equally impossible to stop looking at him. But while Ta’Rea Campbell’s Nala is lovely in every way, Dashaun Young’s Simba doesn’t have quite enough spark and charisma to evince a strong and powerful young king.
As Simba’s sidekicks Timon and Pumbaa, Mark Shunock and Ben Lipitz are superb physical comedians, and the show gets a much-needed shot of adrenalin with their arrival. This silly, gaseous pair has impressive vocal chops, too.
Though some of the percussive noise and cluttered stage business distract from the storytelling, the muscular, athletic dance ensemble creates remarkable moments when the music and movement coalesce in perfect partnership.
After the New Age-y Cirque du Soleil-style aerial ballets and the ancient puppetry, the most authentic performance of this “Lion King” comes near the end, when Phindile Mkhize’s Rafiki reprises “He Lives in You.” As the soothsaying African griot who mostly speaks gibberish, Mkhize’s screechily ethereal voice makes you forgive the preceding pop pablum and understand the timeless windswept majesty of this African tale.
At that moment, it’s hard not to feel the love.
THE 411: Through May 4 at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. $21-$63. 404-817-8700, ticketmaster.com
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Theater
Comments
By rg
April 6, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this
Why did the ushers allow seating well into the first act? If one is late to a Broadway show, one would stand in the back until the next act. ATL is teaching the audience that it is okay to be late. How annoying.
By Don
April 6, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this
I agree. They were even seating late arrivers up until just a few minutes before intermission. As they seated them in the dark via flash light, they would all stand in the asle blocking the view of others. It is a shame to spend this much on a show and be under near constant disruption because of late arrivers.
By Fatika
April 6, 2008 9:42 PM | Link to this
Having seen the show at the civic center on Friday, I found it very entertaining and loved Lindiwe Mkhize’s peformance, especially because most of her “gibberish” is in ZULU!!!!! As a fluent Zulu speaker I was able to get it!!!!
By John
April 6, 2008 10:08 PM | Link to this
Saw the show this afternoon and while the performance was fantastic, the civic center remains one of the worst places to see a show in Atlanta. Bad parking, horrible access to rest rooms and ushers who have no clue on how to seat at a broadway show. Just is no flow to get around at intermission, Perhaps someone should have everyone go up one set of stairs and down another. The crowded lobby is smothering. This will be the last time I go to a show there
By Brooke
April 7, 2008 12:39 AM | Link to this
The Lion King came out in 1994, not 1997.
But my biggest problem was the audience as well - I felt like everyone was constantly whispering or moving or opening things and it caused a lot of noise. Very bad theatre manners.
By Mack
April 7, 2008 7:44 AM | Link to this
It was a great performance. It great to introduce young children to the arts. However, children should be able to sit still and quiet. If they cant and do not sit still at home. Do not expect them to do in a theatre.
By Loved the Lion King
April 7, 2008 10:11 AM | Link to this
I took my mom to see The Lion King on Saturday afternoon. We loved it! The costumes were creative and beautiful. The performers were excellent. One of the best shows I have seen!
By BethanyAnneLind
April 7, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
I wonder how we can get this much excitement and feedback for theatre designed, performed and produced by local professionals?
By Wendell Brock
April 8, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
Bethany Anne Lind: You make a genius point. but the only way we can get people to respond to Atlanta-grown theater is for the Atlanta theater community to get online and comment. write your own reviews. say whatever you think. the blog is yours and you should own it…. Wendell
By BPJ
April 8, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this
Mr. Brock, I enjoy your theatre reviews, but I have to disagree strongly with your contention that “the only way we can get people to respond to Atlanta-grown theatre is for the Atlanta theatre community to get online and comment, write your own reviews…” That could help, but a more crucial factor, so far lacking, is for the AJC to expand its arts coverage.
To be specific: reviews (of visual arts exhibitions as well as plays) should appear within a few days of the opening. Other cities manage this. I can’t count the number of times a review (often highly positive) has appeared toward the end of the run. Reader reviews on this blog are a pale substitute for critics’ reviews, because (a) the critics’ reviews appear in the print edition, (b) few people know about the ATL Arts blog, except for the rare occasion when a link to it appears on the AJC home page, and (c) reader reviews could be from anyone, including a cast member; we need timely reviews by a professional critic who is generally unbiased.
Second, the AJC needs to make its arts coverage more prominent. In the print edition, reviews of major plays, concerts, and exhibitions (when they finally appear) are frequently buried on page Z-16, while some sappy nonsense about a celebrity idiot is on the front page. As for the website, the AJC arts page is a mess, and frequently appears to go for days without any responsible person at the AJC reviewing it. For comparison, look at the arts pages on the Denver Post website. There, in a city of similar size, the top management at the paper has decided to present the arts on its website in a format which is prominent, thorough, and legible. Why does the top management at the AJC have so little respect for the intelligence of its (existing & potential) audience?
By bdawk
April 12, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this
I agree with much of what has already been said. The show itself was great visually and artistically. This was the first time I have seen a show at the civic center and I agree 100% that the staff there did not seem as professional or organized as the staff at The Fox. Also it seemed like a much less considerate crowd than those I have encountered at other venues. I had a few people with phones all lit up, sending texts for a good part of the show around me. The guy next to me seemed to think on of the songs was a sing along. There also seemed to be a group of people who kept trying to clap along like they were at outing to see a Barney and Friends show.
By David
April 25, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
A great night in the theatre should be stress free. I had such a horrible time at the civic center that it ruined the entire experience! The show on the other hand is visually stunning with some great music. Too bad the show can only fit in the Civic Center, a show of this magnitude deserves a great theatre to play in. Too bad the fox is too small.
I agree with many of you, the civic center is my least favorite theatre in Atlanta to see a show. The ushers are not very helpful or friendly. And the parking lot was a sea of chaos after the show. I would love to see the area around the theatre developed with some eateries and shops! The area is dead and needs a boost!