{"id":468,"date":"2011-07-15T03:05:16","date_gmt":"2011-07-15T03:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lionkingbroadwayticketsonline.com\/blog\/?p=468"},"modified":"2011-07-15T03:05:16","modified_gmt":"2011-07-15T03:05:16","slug":"lion-king-roars-into-ottawa-town-with-magical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lionkingbroadwayticketsonline.com\/blog\/lion-king-roars-into-ottawa-town-with-magical\/","title":{"rendered":"Lion King Roars into Ottawa town with magical"},"content":{"rendered":"

A magical, sensory onslaught is in store for audiences when the Lion King opens in Ottawa<\/a> tonight, says one of the show\u2019s key actors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so excited for Ottawa to see it,\u201d said Mark David Kaplan, who plays Zazu the Hornbill in the award-winning stage adaptation of Disney\u2019s classic animated feature. Zazu, an African Hornbill originally voiced in the movie by funnyman Rowan Atkinson \u2013 is majordomo to King Mufasa, ruler of the lions.<\/p>\n

The production immerses audiences with music, masks, costumes, puppets, actors and dance, all combined at once, said Kaplan. Rather than hiding behind screens or wearing dark clothing, Kaplan and the actors and puppeteers and their facial expressions are part of the performance too. The concept is apparent from opening number, The Circle of Life as the animals of the Serengeti gather to witness the birth of the Lion King\u2019s son Simba.<\/p>\n

\u201cRafiki starts out calling out to these two antelopes and the antelopes are both calling out to her in one of the South African dialects and then she calls out to these giraffes and these two giraffes come in from stage left and it\u2019s these two very amazing dancers on stilts \u2013 I don\u2019t want to give too much away,\u201d said Kaplan, his excitement apparent in his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about watching all of these things at the same time. It\u2019s not just about watching the puppeteer, or the puppet independently. You can look things independently, but neither one works independently,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While many of the \u201cpuppets\u201d are attached to the actors as a sort of hybrid costume, Kaplan\u2019s puppet is operated with both of his hands and has a number of small moving parts that allow for a variety of expressions. Nevertheless, he says it is the combination of those expressions as well as his own facial expressions that really bring the character to life.<\/p>\n

At times in the show, he says he\u2019ll work almost directly with the children in the audience, looking them in eye, but at other times the kids stop interacting with him and are interacting with the puppet. While he says the bird can\u2019t work with out him, he says the puppet can express things physically that as a human, he can really only think.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s amazing,” Kaplan says of the puppet.<\/p>\n

Kaplan said he\u2019s been involved in the show off and on for eight years in different roles, but in Ottawa he\u2019ll be rejoining it to play Zazu. <\/p>\n

\u201cZazu is part of the glue that makes the show work,\u201d he said of his role. The majordomo is charged with taking care of Simba in the first act of the show. Zazu is both a guardian, and a diplomat, he is also a confidant and at the same time flies above the action, gaining insights as he soars over the Serengeti.<\/p>\n

The show runs until Aug. 7 at the National Arts Centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou start with a great story like this that everybody knows, it\u2019s a great introduction to live theatre,\u201d he said. \u201cThe immediacy of live theatre is what makes the show work.\u201d <\/p>\n

{Via Metronews.ca<\/a>}<\/p>\n

Buy Lion King Ottawa ON Canada Tickets<\/a> Online. Use Code AFF$10 to Get $10 OFF on Lion King National Arts Centre Ticket<\/a> Orders over $350!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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