{"id":832,"date":"2012-08-03T23:52:58","date_gmt":"2012-08-03T23:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lionkingbroadwayticketsonline.com\/blog\/?p=832"},"modified":"2012-08-03T23:52:58","modified_gmt":"2012-08-03T23:52:58","slug":"lion-kings-young-simba-judah-bellamy-in-broadway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lionkingbroadwayticketsonline.com\/blog\/lion-kings-young-simba-judah-bellamy-in-broadway\/","title":{"rendered":"Lion King’s Young Simba Judah Bellamy in Broadway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Judah Bellamy who plays young Simba in the Broadway production of “The Lion King,<\/a>” in front of the Minskoff Theatre<\/a> in Times Square, Manhattan.<\/strong>
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\"Judah<\/a>

Judah Bellamy in Lion King Broadway<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

When Judah was 6, he announced he would play Simba one day on Broadway. With Judah\u2019s father, Bellamy being a writer in Baltimore, and his mother a day care provider, the dream was brushed off as a childish fantasy.<\/p>\n

The Bellamys were so profoundly impacted by the rich African culture embedded in the show that Bernita played \u201cThe Lion King songs\u201d to her belly in 1999 when she was pregnant with her first born, Judah Bellamy\u2014who now plays Simba on Broadway<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of us can sing. It is just not a part of our make up. I\u2019d probably be less surprised if they told me he could move objects with his mind,\u201d his father said. But not only could Judah sing, he also memorized the entire \u201cThe Lion King\u201d script by age 5. He then moved on to memorizing the Danish and German versions. His father could no longer ignore Judah\u2019s wish when he turned 9, and began taking him to \u201cLion King\u201d auditions.<\/p>\n

\"Judah<\/a>

Judah Roars in Lion King<\/p><\/div>\n

Without ever taking a single singing or acting lesson, Judah left for his trip to New York. As a 4\u20193\u201d 9-year-old, he walked into the large auditioning room, getting lost among 50 Simba hopefuls who were at least 3 inches taller than him. To the judges\u2019 surprise, the most regal, resounding voice bustled from the little body. But it was more than the voice that captured the directors\u2019 attention; it was Judah\u2019s passion for \u201d The Lion King\u201d scenes, his striking familiarity and natural ease with the script, and his compelling bearing as Simba. There was one small problem. He was too short for the role. Over the next two years, Judah was invited to audition five times. Although he was rejected each time, Judah held firmly to his dream.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going back to get it, at no time did I think I wasn\u2019t going to get it,\u201d he said. He got the auspicious phone call at age 11. Although his dream finally came to fruition, strangely, at such a young age, Judah\u2019s excitement did not affect his rationale. \u201cI ate dinner\u2026 I went to bed, because, you know, I wouldn\u2019t really do anything until a month later,\u201d Judah said.<\/p>\n

Judah\u2019s first four weeks on Broadway<\/a> consisted strictly of trainings, with zero break days. But that did not stop Judah from being \u201ca big ball of energy,\u201d his father recalled.<\/p>\n

Even today, at age 13, \u201cThe Lion King\u201d is still Judah\u2019s favorite movie. He continues to sing \u201cInto the Night\u201d in the shower, which happens to be his favorite scene\u2014where Simba meets his father\u2019s spirit in the starry sky.<\/p>\n

Judah aspires to be a screenwriter, director, and film actor after his Simba days are over. He recently completed an independent film with Jono Oliver, an award-winning director. The film, called \u201cHome,\u201d is about the complex relationship between a mentally ill father and his young son. The director was originally looking for younger actors for the role of the son, but out of an array of actors, Judah was chosen for his \u201cnuance\u201d in the difficult role, his father said.<\/p>\n

Although Judah has had a string of luck in his acting career, in his father\u2019s eyes, the most important thing Judah has learned is having compassion and love for others.<\/p>\n

Read the complete story {Via TheEpochTimes.com<\/a>}<\/p>\n

Buy Lion King Minskoff Theatre Tickets<\/a> Online, Save $10 by using the Code SUMMERFUNTN at Checkout on Orders of $250 or more!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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