Archive for February 20th, 2012
The Lion King Landmark Theater VA Review
Lion King is currently performing on tour at Landmark Theatre VA in Richmond, VA.
The Lion King is one of the most profitable, longest running Broadway musicals around. But if you want an experience that is its own theater entity, that takes inspiration from the movie and then runs with it to wild, unexpected places, you’re not going to consistently find it here. The first 10 minutes of Disney’s Broadway musical, “The Lion King,” are the stuff of theater transcendence.
A perfectly formed giraffe crosses the stage of the Landmark Theater, and you have to work backwards to realize it’s actually a human in costume. An elephant ambles down the aisle, and it is somehow rooted in the earth and simultaneously the stuff of pure, weird imagination.
But every time one of these moments happens and you feel like you’re watching the story of “The Lion King” in a completely new way, the next moment the musical grows timid and hurries back to an exact replica of the source material.
The musical, like the film, follows the arc of the young lion, Simba, whose wise, ruling father, Mufasa is killed by the nefarious Uncle Scar. Scar and his band of hyena followers take over the lands of Pride Rock. Simba is exiled to the jungle where he finds zany friends, Timon and Pumba, and ultimately the courage to return and fight. The rest is Disney history.
The biggest challenge of transitioning this story to stage is the fact that all of the characters are African animals. It could so easily be laughable. But this is where “The Lion King” musical is at its most inspired. Costume designer, Julie Taymor, along with her mask and puppet design partner, Michael Curry, will go down in Broadway legend for what they’ve done.
I’ve never seen a faster standing ovation than I did at the Landmark at the end of “The Lion King.” And it’s well deserved, because this musical is unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen. Its story is solid, because the film’s story is such a classic, well-constructed arc. Elton John and Tim Rice’s music and lyrics, including all of the film’s songs, are also solid and familiar. All of that makes for a very good musical.
Read the complete review {Via Richmond.com}
The Lion King runs through March 11 at the Landmark Theater. Buy Lion King Richmond VA Tickets Online, Use Code AFF$10 to Get $10 OFF on Orders over $350!
The Lion King Greenville SC Tickets Sales Breaks Box Office Records
Tickets for Disney’s The Lion King went on sale in Greenville, SC on Saturday, February 11 and set a new Peace Center Box Office record by selling 5,276 tickets. Greenville’s most eagerly awaited stage production will begin performances at The Peace Center on Tuesday, June 12 for a limited engagement of four weeks through Sunday, July 8. The opening night is Thursday, June 14 at 7:30pm.
“We are very proud of this new milestone and appreciate everyone that either came to the box office, went on-line to peacecenter.org or called the box office. Even with these record-breaking sales, there are plenty of good seats remaining,” said Megan Riegel, President of the Peace Center.
The first ticket buyer arrived at 4am on Saturday. Mr. Bruce Spurlin from Gaffney, SC drove 40 miles in order to purchase tickets for his wife and mother as Valentine’s Day gifts. On-site festivities included the awarding of CD’s of The Lion King Original Broadway cast recording to the first 100 ticket buyers. The first 500 ticket buyers received a Lion King T-shirt. WMYI-102.5 and WSSL-100 provided prizes, food and fun throughout the three-hour event.
The Lion King at The Peace Center – SC will play Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, Sunday evenings at 6:30pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday matinees at 1:00pm. There will be a 2:00pm matinee performance on Thursday, July 5.
There will not be a performance on Wednesday, July 4. Ticket prices start as low as $32.50. Premium Ticket Packages, which include prime seat locations, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available.
Read the complete story {Via southcarolina.broadwayworld.com}
Lion King performances at The Peace Center – SC will run from June 12 and continue through July 08, 2012. Buy Lion King Greenville SC Tickets Online, Use Code AFF$10 to Get $10 OFF on Orders over $350!
