Review of Lion King in Toronto

[Canadave]

Well, we just saw the Sunday matinee show of the Lion King. Being a Disney-addict, it's hard being unbiased in a review, but here goes:

Seating: We sat in the balcony, about a third of the way up. You get a great perspective up here. I think the puppetry is more effective from a distance, but you don't get to appreciate the detail of the costumes as you would from closer seating. The sound from the balcony was great, as I think it would be from anywhere in the theatre.

Music: The music was true to the movie. The few added songs were great, especially the two solos by Simba and Nala. The singers had excellent voices and their voices matched their characters very well. The only disappointment to us was the Young Simba. He seemed to be a bit out of tune (maybe he was just having a bad day)(he did play the part very well and had a lot of lines to remember). The orchestra and the drummers never missed a beat (sorry about that).

The Costumes: This is what I think really made the show. If you are going to the show for the first time, go with an open mind. The costumes were very ...interpretive. A lot of work and creativity went into the costumes and to how the actors manipulated the characters. You have to see it to really appreciate the costumes. ps. very colourful.

The Actors: Superb. They knew their characters well. When humour was required, everyone laughed. When the scene required drama, the actors/animals portrayed the seriousness of the moment. The woman playing Rafiki was a hoot. And she was the understudy! She received the biggest ovation. My 13 year old daughter seemed to be very impressed with the adult Simba character...Hmmmm. Actually, he was a very good actor and singer, too.

Overall, I have to hardily recommend going to see The Lion King. If you've been there before, go see it again from a seat in a different level. Yes, the seats aren't inexpensive, but the memories will be priceless.(now I'm sounding like a Mastercard commercial) It really was fun and it's not just for kids.

Canadave

 

[PoohBWV]

Thanks for the great review.

 

[Tiger926]

Canadave - Thanks for the great review! My DH and our 2 best friends will be attending a December Sat. matinee and we can't wait. Our seats are in the orchestra section, and friends of ours said that we will really appreciate the unique costumes being that we will be sitting so close. I do have one question - what kind of merchandise do they sell besides shirts and programs? Thanks again for the timely review!
Tiger

 

[Baboo]

Hi Dave! Glad to hear that you all had such a good time! I know that Michael and I sure enjoyed it.

Tiger, when we were there they had stuffed beanie type toys of the various characters, some jewellry, tapes and cd's, shirts and programs. I don't remember if there was anything else since it was last spring that we went. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[sammi]

LOL Dave I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! I knew you would. Thanks for the great review!

Tiger926......when we saw the show this past June, they had great T-shirts as I bought one (black) for myself. I think they were about $20.00 and they are a really good quality too!

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks for the info. We are looking forward to picking up some extra treats while we are there!
Tiger

 

[Canadave]

Tiger926:

Yes, there was lots to spend your money on. We bought: the Lion King Broadway CD for $25. ; a stuffed Zazu and a stuffed Simba for $15 each (very good quality and they were like the characters in the play, not in the movie. There are some differences). There were some other stuffed characters, too. But they didn't have a Rafiki???; a large beach towel with the Lion King logo on it for $28; and of course, the Lion King program for $10. There was also some things that we didn't buy Mugs, watches, jewellery, some cool t-shirts (I really wanted one) and posters.

I know that you'll really enjoy the show. The characters use the aisles leading up to the stage, several times during the show. You will have such a great view.

Canadave

 

[SandraC]

When dd was 4 yo, I thought, 'can't wait until she's 8 yo to see LKS', well she'll be 8 yo in Dec HUUUUUMMMMMMMM

 

[Tiger926]

It sounds like they sell some pretty cool stuff at the show! Thanks so much for all of the info. We are know even more excited because we received our tickets in the mail today! I ordered them on Sat. afternoon on the internet and they only took 4 days to arrive. Thanks again.
Tiger

 

[timC]

Canadave... Thanks for the great post.

As a matter of fact, we're flying home (TO) for Christmas this year, and I've already got my tickets. We've done just about everything that Lion King, but not the live production... I can't wait.

By the way, we'll be in row GG. I'm told we'll be right where the elephant comes out. Are these good seats?

 

[CindyAnn]

Dave - Glad to hear you enjoyed the show! I don't even think you need to be a Disney fan to appreciate it, but it helps, of course. My only regret was that we didn't take our children (ages 5 & 8) with us. However, just yesterday my Mom said she'd like to take her grandchildren to a matinee performance. Yipee! Nana comes through!

TimC - We were in row C, I think, which was 11 rows back and we thought the seats were awesome. It sounds like you'll be 7 rows back, so even closer. As Dave says, you'd probably get a better overall perspective from the balcony, but we also enjoyed seeing all the details from up close. Hope you have fun!

 

[cotye]

Sounds good. I still have yet to go. I think it's the price that's holding me back. A bit expensive for my taste.