I read on Wednesday, the 13th that Whoopi Goldberg was doing something special with the Lion King the next day, on Jan 14th.
Soooo, of course, I started debating with myself on whether to go. I looked up tickets & saw still availability. There was also a concern that my sister would not be happy since I babysit CJ twice a week, with the 14th being one of said days. I am planning to go to Lion King during the summer, but this I wanted to attend since it was be a "special performance" with Whoopi Goldberg as she was one of the voices in the film.
I've seen her twice before on Broadway, so we have a bond thing going. LOL!
Ultimately, I decided to go and completely hyperventilated my planner personality since this was last-minute-by-the-seat-of-my-pants thing. Even to NYC, I must plan.
I wasn't about to pay the 'premium ticket' price on Ticketmaster to get 6 or 7th row center at $210+, so I found a code that saved me half and sat in 2nd row, all the way to the wall. Normally, this show is much better seen a bit further back, but the whole point was to actually see Whoopi.
During the day, learned Whoopi would be doing a couple of cameo appearances, not actually doing the entire show.
Fast forward past the guilt of abandoning my sis & CJ, I got ready to leave for NYC right after work yesterday and head to train station to jump on the next train to NYC. This train station is best thing NJ transit has ever done. Period. I think I got into the City at 6:15pm or so. I needed to be at the theater early to pick up my ticket.
I hop on a subway that takes me to 42nd, but for some reason, I actually emerge from the underground into the Port Authority on 41st. I have absolutely no idea how I did that; felt a little like an ant in a anthill.
I arrive at the Minsoff Theater to find this notice whilst picking up my tickets:
The lower lobby:
After picking up my ticket, I headed around the corner to Times Square & have myself a quick bite to eat, a tuna melt & Starbucks chai tea latte in the middle of the pedestrian mall (aka no cars allowed). It is so freaky!
This is what I'm looking at the entire time
I do have more pics of Times Square, but I have to actually download those off the real deal camera.
I finish around 7:15pm and head back to the Minskoff Theater; it is a modern theater, so no real architectural details to show you
The doors are not quite open yet, so I hang on the 2nd floor (theater is on 2nd floor of building), looking down at the hub of the world.
I watched various commercials on the jumbo-tron including one of the Lion King. I was able to catch that on the real camera.
Finally, time to go in and I get my playbill
There is no notice of Whoopi being in the show or any notice at all except the one when I picked up my ticket. My seat is quite close to the stage and it turns out it was actually 2nd row (I thought I bought 3rd row at the time), but all the way to the wall, so it was a slightly obstructed view. I was a little squished & didn't help the jerf in front of didn't take his hat off (where are manners?) but ah well, I'm here.
It's about 8:08pm and Thomas Schumacher comes to the stage. He is the producer of the show and explains that Whoopi Goldberg is here to do 3 cameo appearances to celebrate Lion King becoming the 9th longest running show in Broadway history and apparentely this night was the record-breaking night. Whoopi will play the hyena, bird lady and rafki.
Obviously, pictures are not allowed during the show. However, she was only on stage 1-2 minutes per cameo. I only saw hyena and rafiki; somehow I missed the bird lady. I'm not quite sure how I did that.
I was paying attention & I could see the cameras in the wings when she did come out.
In the 2 that I saw, she did not do alot of talking, it was mostly monosyllables and body expression. As she was "walking" off stage from being the hyena, she did turn to the audience and say
"this is hard!" (ie: walking on the "legs" of the hyena). She came on 2 different times as rafiki with once being 1 of the 2 rafikis on stage. But Simba did not miss a beat. Good Simba.
Her second rafiki was swing out from the wings on a rope (vine?); once she said
"wheeee", the second time she said
"whooooopiiii" which sent the audience into laughter.
There will be behind-the-scenes footage of Whoopi's appearance on The View to air on Jan 20th. Update: Now, Feb 3?
The costumes are amazing. The really match the actors to their costumes, alot like Finding Nemo show at Disney.
Here are some images of the show from the web
HYSTERICAL!!!
Grabbed some images from The View of Whoopi during show: (added 1/21/10)
As Bird Lady, ok I DID these ladies, but I guess I didn't see her?
As Rafiki, swinging on vine
Didn't see any as hyena, but here's a dress rehearsal pic
Here is the Curtain Call with Whoopi, her last cameo was rafiki. I knew there would be pics out there since there was quite alot of photographers suddenly
Heading out of the Minskoff
The presents I bought myself; my frugal side would not let me get anything else - lol
I hope you enjoy this mini-TR within a TR. Thanks for letting me review. In the next couple of posts, I do have more pic of the theater and NYC from my real deal camera, not just the camera on my cell.
The UK is my favorite during "regular" season, but Germany is favorite at Christmas!
fans, Barnes & Noble is having a sale:
, so be prepared! 
