Disney's The Lion King on Broadway, SINGAPORE review

Disney's The Lion King on Broadway, SINGAPORE review

Last night, 5 of us headed down to Marina Bay Sands (MBS)  for our first ever Broadway - The Lion King .The moment we stepped into Marina Bay Sands- MBS, we could feel the very excitement that surrounded us- because MBS was welcoming as it was so nicely decorated with banners and advertisements of The Lion King everywhere.

Upon reaching the Theater, we were greeted by warm and courteous smiling ushers who helped us get around and find our seats. The moment we stepped into the magnificent hall, our breaths were taken away by the most amazing design and facade of the Marina Bay Sands Theater. It truly deserved to host and  be home this world phenomena Broadway for its stay here.

What you see as you walk towards the Sands Theatre!

We settled down fast and though we got the Cat B seats, we were relatively close to the stage. Before we knew it, Gugwana Dlamini's voice thundered through the whole theater with the famous "Mazibenya..". Everyone hushed their friends as the show started yet the excitement in everyone was just uncontainable. People were bouncing about their seats and gasped as the large red velvet curtains were lifted to reveal a stage with sets that were beyond imagination! Immediately before us was Pride Rock! As the audience marveled at the incredible set, as the dancers and singers, or the 'animals' to be exact, started streaming down the aisle onto the stage! That was truly interactive.

And that was just the start to such a spectacular show! We were given surprises, one after another, at the way the sets transits through the scenes seamlessly and made complete sense without any awkward pauses that leave the audience scratching their heads. The interactive and creative uses of light and props gave us a feeling of realness! It was as if the whole Lion King cartoon was magically transformed into real life! every single bit of it! Even we were amazed by that fact, though we first doubted how real they could make those scenes.

I personally loved the way they brought Mufasa's spirit back in one of the scenes in Act II. The use of huge jigsaw pieces that suddenly fit together to reveal his face in the backdrop , it was just so amazing!

The elaborate Lion King costumes allowed us to see the 'animals' in the cast, and it wasn't just a show with people singing, THEY WERE ANIMALS, in the Savannah! The head pieces were so beautifully carved and Scar's moving headpiece definitely intrigued the audience! At times, it was just Patrick Brown's face with a Scar mask on his head, and at times, his mask gets drawn down to  cover his face and revealed a menacing grin. That was truly, what i call, theatrical creativity!

Apart from mind-blowing sets, props, puppets, the Lion King cast was AMAZING! Jee-L was superb as Mufasa! His rendition of 'He lives in you' truly touched us. He sang with so much feelings and the way he emoted into the song totally allowed us to see that song, which we already knew so well, in a whole new light. The young Simba and Nala, despite being children and only recently got on board the production, did an amazing job with their role. It was shocking to see how they were so natural and talented in their singing at such a tender age.

Jonathan Andrew Hume, who played adult Simba, blew everyone away with his velvety, rich tenor voice as he belted 'Endless night'. Reaching the high notes with so much resonance proved to be easy peasy for him. Ramsdem (ZaZu) entertained the much surprised crowd with his rendition of  a surprise local National Day tune! It was truly an element of surprise no one anticipated, especially for a non-local to pronounce the Malay words so well! Jamie(Timon), should get credit for trying to add some Singaporean slang into his lines. Not forgetting the wonderful supporting chorus with their wonderful blend in the African chants, the musicians, and the amazing dancers!

The show reflected rich African cultures in the intricacies of the props, sets, costumes and songs. It was so spectacular and left us all speechless! Those of you out there who are still deciding if you should catch The Lion King, one advise - WATCH The Lion King before it leaves Singapore!

To the cast and the whole production team, congratulations on a job well done! (:

by ONG

Marina Bay Sands.The Lion King,Singapore