The Lion King

Last night I saw The Lion King at the Orpheum theater in Minneapolis, and as always, it was wonderful. This was the third time I have seen the show, and it never ceases to amaze me. (There was a little technical difficulty with the sound toward the end of the first act, but they paused for a brief intermission and got everything fixed.)

The entire performance is filled with beautiful colors, movement, sound and effects. But my favorite part by far is "The Circle of Life" number at the beginning of the first act. The cast enters the stage -- some through the aisles in the audience -- in animal costumes, and it is breathtaking. It makes me smile, fills me with wonder and awe, and the sheer grandness of it all gives me the chills. The costumes (and that word doesn't even seem sufficient) themselves are stunning, and it's so impressive to me that someone had the idea, let alone the ability, to execute them in such a creative way. But the actors are also wonderful at portraying the mannerisms of the different animals -- the prowling cheetahs, prancing zebras, regal giraffes, and so many more. Every time I've seen The Lion King, I've commented that I would be content paying to see just that opening number, and that is still true.

So if you haven't seen The Lion King, I would wholeheartedly, unabashedly recommend that you go. I can't wait until I get to see it again!