The plot of the musical "The Lion King". Musical The Lion King The Lion King on Broadway

Hello! With you in the program "Music Hall" - Mikhail Predtechensky.

This musical has the honorary title of one of the most expensive in the history of the genre. At one time, more than $30 million was spent on its production on Broadway. However, these costs paid off. The play has been running with great success on different stages around the world for 19 years now and is even considered a classic of the world musical. The title of this work is "The Lion King" . Our story today is about him.

However, let's start from the beginning and remember the times when Sir Elton had no idea that he would become the author of one of the most successful musicals in history.

So, the Disney film studio employs people who are not afraid to take risks and sometimes implement the most absurd ideas. So, one fine day, the studio management came up with the idea of ​​making an animated film about... Hamlet. But at the same time, its main characters should be... animals. The studio announced a script competition. The three best were selected. And then the authors Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts And Linda Woolverton connected everyone into one story. This is how the animated film came about "The Lion King" .

The plot indeed bears some resemblance to Shakespeare's play. From the wise king of the savannah Mufasa and his wife Sarabi an heir is born Simba. By the way, the film begins with: Mufasa tells Simbe O "circle of life". This is the name of the famous composition - "The Circle Of Life" .

2. Elton John's song "The Circle Of Life" from the musical "The Lion King" is playing.

However, let's continue the story of Hamlet from the pride of lions. King's brother Mufasa Scar strives to take the throne and comes up with an insidious plan. He lures Simbu into a canyon, and hyenas drive a herd of antelope into it. Mufasa saves Simbu, but he himself hangs on a rock ledge. Scar throws it under the hooves of the wildebeest, and Mufasa dies. Scar convinces Simbu that he is to blame for his father's death, and Simba flees the pride lands. Scar takes the throne.

One day a beautiful lioness comes to the jungle Nala and tells Simbe, What Scar and the hyenas completely devastated the pride lands. However mandrill Rafiki (Rafiki- this is a monkey) helps him see the spirit of his father, who convinces Simbu return. He comes to his native jungle and wins a duel with Scar, and he marries Nale. Simba becomes the leader of the pride and the king of the savannah. The pride lands are blooming again, and Simba And Nala a baby is born.

3. Another hit from the musical “The Lion King” is played - the song “Hakuna Matata”.

The film was made by talented directors Roger Allers And Rob Minkoff. Role Simba voiced Jonathan Taylor Thomas And Matthew Broderick, Mufasa - James Earl Jones And Skara - Jeremy Irons.

But, perhaps, the main success of the producers of the film was that they persuaded Elton John And Tim Rice write songs for the film. They were very good. "The Lion King" was released in 1994 and became the most successful film of the year. It grossed about $850 million and became a kind of “renaissance” for Disney animation.

"The Lion King" won two awards "Oscar"(one of them is for the song Elton John "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" ), two prizes "Golden Globe", three figurines "Grammy". For now "The Lion King" - the leader in box office receipts among cartoons made using traditional hand-drawn techniques.

4. The evil Scar's song "Be Prepared" from the musical "The Lion King" is sung by Jeremy Irons.

Based on the movie "The Lion King" two animated television series and several popular computer games were made. And finally "The Lion King" appeared on Broadway as a musical. However, before bringing this performance to the public, several problems had to be solved.

The most important thing was the following. "The Lion King" - an animated film, moreover, from the life of animals. All characters are drawn. Who will play the roles of lions, warthogs, hyenas, antelopes and so on on stage? In the end, a solution was found, expensive but effective: the lions are played by people in rich ethnic costumes with stylized lion masks as headdresses. This is how viewers see both the actor’s facial expressions and the face of the animal he is portraying.

Pompous Hornbill, Advisor to the King Mufasa, Zazu- this is a doll that is held on a long thread by a comically made-up person. The thread is attached to a pole, and when rotated, centrifugal force causes the doll to fly. Anthropomorphic meerkat Timon and a clumsy warthog Pumbaa- large dolls controlled by people standing behind them. Cheetahs and zebras are also accommodated. Moreover, the actors with tufts of grass attached to their heads depict the savannah.

In general, many millions were spent on the production of costumes and dolls. In total, more than 200 costumes and 60 dolls had to be made for the musical. More than 150 people take part in the action. However, the director Julie Taymor dealt with this crowd successfully.

There was also the problem of music. The film contains 5 songs written by Tim Rice And Elton John, which is clearly not enough for a musical. Fortunately, it turned out that in fact the authors composed much more compositions, but they were not included in the film. But they sounded in the musical. For example, a song "Shadowland" . This is the leaving scene Nala from the pride in search of help.

5. The song "Shadowland" from the musical "The Lion King" is playing.

The plot of the musical is completely consistent with the film, but slightly expanded. The premiere performance on stage took place on July 31, 1997 in Minneapolis in The Orpheum Theater with enormous success. The performance then moved to The New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway in New York, won 4 awards "Tony", including for "best musical of the year".

"The Lion King" runs on Broadway to this day The Minskoff Theater. Not only that, but there are currently two less expensive and more portable productions of The Lion King touring the United States.

Well, this show is also shown in London, Melbourne, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris and many other cities. Every now and then rumors arise about the Russian premiere of The Lion King. However, domestic producers have not yet decided to do this - this production is very expensive. However, sooner or later, in Russia there will be a musical "The Lion King" will definitely appear, and we will finally see the most spectacular and most expensive theatrical musical in history.

6. The song “I Just Can't Wait To Be King” from the cartoon “The Lion King” is performed by Elton John.

Until next week and the next musical!

From October 28, 2006 to October 28, 2007, a Korean production was shown in Southern Seoul.

The Dutch production ran at the Circus Theater from 2004 until August 27, 2006, when it was replaced by Tarzan.

In June 2007, the musical premiered in South Africa in the city of Johannesburg, the show closed on February 17, 2008.

There is currently only one touring production in the United States. (They used to tour two at a time) The touring version of the musical is very similar to the original Broadway production, however the traveling elements (The Herd, Pride Rock, etc.) have been changed to be less costly to operate. The sun in the first scene also underwent changes (it became smaller), and the size of the stage and orchestra pit also decreased.

From August 2008 to August 24, 2009, the production was shown in Taipei, Taiwan.

The musical took place in January 2008 in Mexico (in English).

Actors of the London production

Posts

Original Broadway recording

Various versions of the productions have been recorded:

• 1997 Broadway cast
• 1999 Japanese cast
• 2002 Hamburg cast
• 2004 Dutch line-up
• 2007 French cast
• 2007 South African cast (Live performance)

Note: The recording of "The Lion King" by the London Theater Orchestra and Singers was released on November 14, 2000 (D-3 Entertainment, ASIN: B00004ZDR6) and is not an official recording of the London cast.

Awards

Tony Award

1998 Drama Desk Awards

• Best Musical - Producer: Disney Theatrical Productions (nominee)
• Best Performance by a Hero - Max Casella, Geoffrey Hoyle (nominee)
• Best Performance by a Heroine - Tsidia Le Loka ( WON)
• Best Choreography - Gard Fegan ( WON)
• Best Direction - Julie Taymor ( WON)
• Best Music for Orchestra - Robert Elhai, David Metzger, Bruce Fowler (nominee)
• Best Environment Design - Richard Hudson ( WON)
• Best Costume Design - Julie Taymor ( WON)
• Best Lighting Design - Donald Holder ( WON)
• Best Sound Design - Tony Meola ( WON)
• Best Puppet Design - Julie Taymor, Michael Curie ( WON)

1998 Theater World Award

• Max Casella ( WON)

2008 Molière Award for "Le Roi Lion"

• Moliere du costume- Costume Design (Julie Taymor) ( WON)
• Molière du createur lumière- Lighting Design (Donald Holder) ( WON)
• Molière du spectacle musical (WON)

The plot of The Lion King musical is more complex than the original Disney film.

Scar, the treacherous brother of the Savannah King Mufasa, decides to take over the kingdom. He arranges the death of his brother so that everyone considers Simba to be the culprit. Scar becomes king. He copes poorly with his responsibilities and gradually goes crazy. At the most difficult moments of his reign, Scar sees the ghost of his brother, but this is just a figment of his imagination. Meanwhile, Simba is visited by the real spirit of Mufasa, who guides him and helps him become a true king for the savannah.

Act 1

The Lion King musical begins at sunrise. Old mandrill Rafiki calls on all the animals to greet King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. And then he shows the heir to the throne to a cheering crowd. On the other side of the savannah, Mufasa's treacherous brother Scar grumbles about his lost chance to become king. The viewer then sees Rafiki again. The wise mandrill returns to his baobab tree, where he draws the image of the newborn prince of the savannah and asks the spirits to speak the name - Simba.

Time passes, Simba becomes a cheerful young lion cub. Mufasa shows his heir the savannah and Pride Rock. The King explains to Simba that all life in the Pride Land exists in harmony - the circle of life. Mufasa also warns his son about the dangers that lurk beyond the pride lands, asking Simba to never go there.

Simba went to see Uncle Scar. The cunning lion arouses his nephew's curiosity by mentioning the elephant graveyard where the young lion is forbidden to roam. At this time, lionesses go hunting. Simba comes to his friend Nala and asks to go with him to the elephant cemetery. Simba deceives two adult lionesses about the place where they are going. But Nala's mother still does not let them go without the accompaniment of the wise bird Zazu. Simba and Nala formulate a plan to escape from Zazu. Along the way, the young lion talks about how much he looks forward to the time when he will become the ruler of the savannah.

Lion cubs go to the elephant cemetery. They manage to escape from the bird. But Zazu finds the naughty cubs and sees Simba and Nala being attacked by hyenas, Scar's supporters. The hyenas intend to eat the babies, but Mufasa comes to their aid. The king scares off the hyenas and saves his son and his girlfriend. He is disappointed by Simba's actions and tries to explain to him the difference between courage and recklessness. Mufasa tells Simba about the past rulers of the savanna and says that their spirits watch everything that happens on earth. Mufasa is sure that someday his time will come to go to the kings of the past, and Simba will always be able to find him among the stars.

Meanwhile, at the elephant cemetery, Scar persuades the hyenas to kill Simba and Mufasa. Scar's goal is to become king of the pride. He promises the hyenas a life without hunger.

Scar leads Simba to a mountain gorge and asks him to wait for him there. He himself runs to Mufasa and says that his son has fallen into a trap. Mufasa rushes to save his son. The treacherous Scar pushes him off the cliff. Mufasa dies. Scar convinces Simba that Mufasa's death is the lion cub's conscience. He convinces Simba to leave the pride, and he himself orders the hyenas to attack his nephew. Simba manages to escape. But the hyenas tell Scar that the lion cub is dead.

Rafiki and the pride of lions mourn the death of Mufasa and Simba. Scar becomes king and allows the hyenas to live in the pride lands. Rafiki goes to his baobab tree and smears the image of Simba. Nala and her mother quietly grieve for Simba.

Simba walks through the desert and passes out from sunstroke. The griffins want to feast on them, but the birds are scared off by the warthog Pumbaa and the meerkat Timon. Simba blames himself for Mufasa's death, but his new friends console him. They take the lion cub into the jungle and teach him their philosophy of "Hakuna Matata" - a way of life without worries and problems. Simba grows up in the jungle and grows into a full-grown lion.

Act 2

The second act begins with an animal choir. The joyful song quickly ends, and vultures appear on the scene and attack the skeletons of the gazelles. Because of Scar's new rules, the harmony of the circle of life disappears. There is a drought in the Pride Lands. The wise advisor Zazu becomes Scar's prisoner. The hyenas complain to the new king about the drought and lack of food. But Scar doesn't care about that. He is haunted by visions in which Mufasa comes to him. Scar wants Nala to give him heirs. Nala is opposed to this; she blames Scar for the deaths of Mufasa and Simba. She leaves the pride in search of help. The lionesses of the pride and Rafiki bless Nala's search.

Meanwhile, in the jungle, Timon and Pumbaa lead an idle life, and Simba is haunted by something. The irritated lion decides to leave his companions, but Timon and Pumbaa follow him. They cross the river. Little Timon falls into the fast current of the river. Simba, paralyzed by memories of his father, cannot help his friend. Timon is carried away by the current. But he grabs a branch and calls Simba for help. Timon lets go of the branch. And at that moment Simba saves him. Leo blames himself for the fact that Timon almost died because of his recklessness.

A trio of nice friends decides to take a break. Simba looks at the stars and remembers his father's words. Timon and Pumbaa just laugh at his idea of ​​former kings. Rafiki hears the distant song of the wind and realizes that Simba is alive. A joyful mandrill draws a mane on an old image of a lion cub.

In the jungle, Pumbaa is attacked by a lioness. Simba protects his friend. He recognizes the formidable young lioness as his old friend Nala. Seeing Simba alive, Nala is delighted and calls the lion the rightful king. Timon and Pumbaa are perplexed, but Simba asks to be left alone with Nala. Timon understands what is happening and regrets that his carefree life has come to an end. Nala tells Simba about the troubles in the Pride Lands. Simba blames himself even more for Mufasa's death and refuses to return to the pride.

While wandering through the jungle, Simba meets Rafiki, who helps him see his father's spirit. Mufasa assures his son that the true king of the savannah must take his rightful place in the cycle of life. Simba decides to return home.

Simba returns to the pride along with Nala, Timon and Pumbaa. Leo sees the drought and devastation of the lands. Meanwhile, Scar reproaches Simba's mother for the fact that the lions have nothing to eat, because the hunt is not going well. Simba's friends distract the hyenas, and Simba appears before Scar. He claims his rights to the throne.

Scar reminds his nephew about Mufasa's death and blames Simba for it. Simba fights Scar. Simba wins and restores the circle of life, The Circle of Life.

If you want to enjoy one of the most exciting and high-quality shows in the history of Broadway, it makes sense to buy tickets to the musical "The Lion King" in advance. The Minskoff Theater is 100% full at every performance.

200 W 45 Street, New York, NY

Reviews of the musical in New York include “best musical for children,” “best family show in New York.” If you don’t know what to see in New York, then the musical “The Lion King” is a good idea of ​​what to do in New York with children; the musical is also interesting for adults. There are daytime and evening performances. It makes sense to buy tickets for the musical "The Lion King" in New York in advance - the hall is 100% full at absolutely every performance. The closer to the date of the musical, the more expensive the tickets.

Duration of the musical: 2 hours 30 minutes.

2 acts, intermission: 15 minutes.

Suitable for viewing with children over 6 years old. Children under 6 years old are not allowed into the theater.

Production - Disney company.
Composer - Elton John.
Lyrics - Tim Rice.
Libretto by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi.

Theater: The musical “The Lion King” is playing at the Minskoff Theater, which is located in the heart of Times Square. The theater has 1621 seats.

Nearest metro stops: Times Square (subway lines 1, 2, 3 and N, Q, R), 42nd Street - Port Authority Bus Terminal (subway lines A, C, E).

Dress code: There is no official dress code for Broadway theaters. However, this is a theater, so smart casual clothing is appropriate.

Cancellation Conditions: Tickets can be returned no later than 15 days before the performance, unless otherwise specified upon purchase.

Musical numbers in the musical “The Lion King”

1. Circle of Life.
2. Grasslants Chant.
3. The Morning Report.
4. The Lioness Hunt.
5. I Just Can't Wait to Be King.
6. Chow Down.
7. They Live in You.
8. Be Prepared.
9. The Stampede.
10. Rafiki Mourns.
11. Hakuna Matata.

1. One by One.
2. The Madness of King Scar.
3. Shadowland.
4. The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
5. Endless Night.
6. Can You Feel The Love Tonight.
7. He Lives in You.
8. Simba Conforts Scar.
9. King of Pride Rock/Circle of Life.

We are pleased to offer theater fans the organization of tours and booking services for tickets to the musical The Lion King.

A stage adaptation of the Disney animated film, the music for which was written by Elton John and Tim Rice. The production uses very spectacular costumes, puppets and theatrical scenery. Many animals in the musical are actors in unusual clothes with additional devices that form an entire structure, for example, giraffes are actors walking on stilts. Mufasa and Scar's costumes include mechanical mask holders that can be raised and lowered to show "fights" between the characters. Characters such as Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa and the hyenas are actors in full-size dolls or costumes.

Location: Lyceum Theater (Wellington St, London, WC2E 7DA)

Age restrictions: The musical "The Lion King" is suitable for viewing by children aged 7 years and older.
Children under 7 years of age may be admitted to the theater, but must occupy a separate seat and have a paid ticket. The theater administration reserves the right to remove children who are too noisy from the theater.
The cost of tickets is not refundable.
Children under 3 years old are not allowed into the theater.

Dates: 16.04.14 – 28.09.14

Prices:£60 – £105

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (with intermission)

Performance schedule: