Disney's 'The Lion King' musical has returned to OKC —and it still rules

Brandy McDonnell, Oklahoman

May 19, 2022 at 11:15 AM·6 min read

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Find your place at the Civic Center Music Hall.

"The Lion King" has returned to Oklahoma City, and even 20 years into its North American tour, the most successful musical of all time still rules.

As OKC Broadway winds down its 2021-2022 COVID-19 comeback season, the local presenter of nationally touring Broadway shows has brought Disney's regal king of song-and-dance spectacle back to OKC for its third reign here, with performances continuing through May 29.

Seen by more than 100 million people around the world, the long-running adaptation of the beloved 1994 animated film previously made wildly popular stops in OKC in 2017 and 2009.

Since the the musical last played OKC, the movie has been rebooted into a realistically computer-rendered 2019 blockbuster, and the debut of Disney+ has given children and fans free rein to catch both movies, the sequels and the television shows. This big cat must closing in on nine lives, but with no signs of slowing down as younger generations are introduced to the most successful entertainment franchise of all time.

Performers portray a cheetah and a pair of giraffes in Disney's beloved musical "The Lion King."

'Circle of Life' still moves on musical's 20th anniversary tour

The winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical, the Mouse House's Shakespearean tale of feuding feline royals again packed the Civic Center for this run's May 12 performance.

Happily, "The Lion King" never fails to move audiences, even after multiple viewings. This was at least my third time to see the musical, and I was still captivated when the mandrill Rafiki (the spirited Gugwana Diamini) called out “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba (roughly translated from Zulu as “There comes a lion”) to start the “Circle of Life” rolling.

A quarter-century after the musical bowed on Broadway, it's not a spoiler to reveal that the crowd-pleasing opening number sends a veritable menagerie — including an enormous elephant and its adorable baby — parading down the aisles toward the stage, where towering giraffes, leaping antelopes and soaring birds surround the lions' Pride Rock.

Although the performers seemed to spend less time lingering among the audience than on previous tours — perhaps because of the coronavirus — the magic of these moments lives up to the hype. The strength of the opener alone warrants seeing "The Lion King" on stage at least once.

Under the unparalleled direction and costume design of Julie Taymor, who won Tonys for both, the show uses canny combinations of costumes, headdresses, puppets, masks, kites, stilts and even shadow play to depict the majestic African creatures in strikingly innovative and dazzlingly detailed fashion.

Even the grass, water and skies spring to life in inventive ways throughout the show. The piano roll that helps to cleverly re-create the story's tragic wildebeest stampede remains one of the most cunning bits of theater magic I've seen, and set pieces like the elephant graveyard effectively transport audiences to the Pridelands and beyond.

Both my elementary-age daughters were enchanted by the tiny wiggling legs on the lion cub puppet and fascinated by the way the cheetah performer operated her full-body getup. Although their teenage brother was less enraptured than his younger siblings, he still enjoyed the familiar tale of family, betrayal and bravery.

Cast members of the North American tour of Disney's "The Lion King" dance as lionesses.

Musical adds African influences to familiar plot

The stage adaptation stays faithful to Disney’s beloved 1994 animated film with its Shakespearean plot, universal themes and Academy Award-winning music.

But Taymor wasn’t afraid to give the musical a radical new look and put her distinctive stamp on the storytelling, and it's impossible to overstate how the addition of authentic African cultural motifs has enhanced the critically and commercially celebrated song-and-dance extravaganza.

The ingenious costumes, masks and puppets clearly take inspiration from African folk art, and the bold and beautiful designs by Taymor and puppet master Michael Curry have become iconic for good reason.

Six Indigenous African languages are sung and spoken during the musical, and Tony winner Garth Fagan drew inspiration from the creatures of the Serengeti when he crafted the show's choreography. “The Lioness Hunt," in which the elegant yet deadly predators cleanly take down an antelope, remains a highlight, with the dancers proving strikingly graceful even while leaping across the stage in capes and headpieces.

To go with the songs included from the film, cinematic songwriters Elton John and Tim Rice composed additional music for the stage, which was augmented with African-inspired melodies created by Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer, who earned an Oscar for scoring the movie.

From "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Be Prepared" to "I Just Can't Wait to be King" and "Hakuna Matata," the tunes brought over from the 1994 silver-screen hit have lost none of their narrative impact. Plus, hearing the familiar songs expertly played live by an orchestra, conducted by James Dodgson, adds to their potency.

But some of the numbers penned for the musical have become my personal favorites, including Mufasa's anthem "They Live in You," Nala's ode "Shadowland" and Simba's lament "Endless Night."

Spencer Plachy plays Scar in the national tour of Disney's musical "The Lion King."

Ensemble includes performers with Oklahoma ties

Considering it's a Disney show with such impressive lineage, it's only natural that the North American tour, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary in April, features a cast with musical theater chops fit for kings and queens.

Lion elder statesman Mufasa continues to be played with wonderful warmth and kingly presence by Gerald Ramsey, who starred in the part when the tour last visited OKC in 2017. Nick Cordileone also returns as Timon the meerkat, pairing with John E. Brady's Pumbaa the warthog to give the show's comedic duo impeccable timing.

Spencer Plachy is pleasingly sinister — with a spine-chilling maniacal laugh — as Mufasa's back-stabbing brother Scar. Forest VanDyke literally stops the show with his squealing cackle as the silly yet scary Banzai, one of the three hyenas — along with crafty Shenzi (Martina Sykes) and unhinged Ed (Robbie Swift) — who join forces with Scar.

Jürgen Hooper showed off first-rate skills as both a puppeteer and comedian playing Zazu, the fussy, high-flying hornbill who serves as Mufasa's top adviser.

Brandon McCall appears as Simba in the North American tour of Disney's "The Lion King."

Despite only bowing in at the tail end of the first act, Darian Sanders boasts princely charms as Simba, and he is well-matched with Kayla Cyphers as his regal love interest, Nala. Jaylen Lyndon Hunter and Scarlett London Diviney play the pair as cubs with undeniable talent and energy.

Three performers on the tour boast OKC ties: Ensemble singers Isaiah Bailey and Christin Byrdsong both attended Oklahoma City University, and ensemble dancer Layla Brent danced as a trainee and then a studio company member with Oklahoma City Ballet.

"The Lion King" will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Broadway this fall, but the show is in no danger of losing its crown as musical theater's reigning ruler, especially for family audiences.