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Guide to the musical "The Lion King"
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INTRODUCTION
This page is a brief guide to the musical "The Lion King". This is being
staged at the Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, London WC2E 7RQ (Tube: Covent
Garden/Temple; map).
The Lion King was originally a Disney cartoon film, released in 1994, then made
into this musical. The music is by Elton John, with words by Tim Rice (both are
British). The musical opened on Broadway in November 1997 and in London in October
1999. Highlights of the show include:
* the way that animals and plants are brought to life using puppets and lighting.
* the songs, which include more African influences than in the film.
* a simple but enjoyable story, which will appeal to people of all ages
Human puppets cleverly represent the African wildlife |
Lion King poster |
TICKETS
Performances start times are as follows (the theatre opens 45 minutes earlier):
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Day
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Mon
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Tue
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
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Sat
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Sun
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Matinee
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-
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-
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2:00
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-
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-
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2:00
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3:00
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Evening
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-
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7:30
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7:30
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7:30
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7:30
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7:30
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-
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The performance lasts about 2 hours 45 minutes (including a 20 minute
interval).
Seats are available in the following parts of the theatre (lowest levels are
listed first):
Orchestra Stalls, Royal Circle, Grand Circle
The standard ticket prices are as follows:
Tuesday to Thursday evenings and Wednesday matinees: £52.50, £45.00,
£35.00, £27.50, £20.00
Friday evenings & Sunday matinees: £55.00, £47.50, £37.50,
£30.00, £22.50
Saturday matinees and evenings: £59.00, £49.00, £40.00,
£30.00, £22.50
In addition there may be a booking fee and a delivery charge.
The prices listed above are until 27 April 2008 (there are some exceptions around
Christmas).
A limited number of seats and cheap standing room places are released each day
at noon for that day's performance (a maximum of two tickets may be purchased
in person only, at the theatre's box office).
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MAIN CHARACTERS
Mufasa: the leader (king) of a pride (group) of lions
Sarabi: a lioness, Mufasa's partner
Simba: the male cub (baby lion) of Mufasa and Sarabi
Scar: a lion, Mufasa's brother
Nala: a female cub, Simba's friend
Rafiki: a mandrill (a type of baboon/monkey) who is a wise and has mystical
powers
Zazu: a hornbill (colourful type of bird) who provides advice to Mufasa
Hyenas: spotted hyenas (dog-like mammals) who often eat the remains of
animals killed by lions
Timon: a meerkat (a small cat-like mammal) who is very lively and talks
a lot
Pumbaa: a warthog (wild African pig) who smells bad and isn't very bright
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STORY OUTLINE
Simba and Nala |
A herd of gazelles and Rafiki |
Mufasa is the king of a pride of lions in a savanna (flat land covered in
grass) somewhere in Africa. He gives birth to a cub called Simba, who has to learn
how to act like a future king of the pride.
Scar (Mufasa's brother) wants to kill Mufasa and Simba so he can become king instead.
He leads Simba to a place called the Elephants' Graveyard, hoping he will be eaten
by the hyenas there. He then leads Simba into the path of stampeding wildebeest
(large African antelopes). Simba feels responsible for his father's death and
leaves Pride Rock. He makes friends with Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him how to
survive.
Scar and the hyenas rule Pride Rock, but they overhunt and cause a food shortage.
Scar tries to force Nala (Simba's friend) to become his mate, causing her to run
away. Nala meets Simba by accident and they fall in love. Simba returns to Pride
Rock to take his place as the Lion King.
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MUSIC
The songs during the musical are as follows:
1. Circle of Life ; 2. Grasslands Chant ; 3. The Morning Report ; 4. The Lioness
Hunt ; 5. I Just Can't Wait to be King ; 6. Chow Down ; 7. They Live in You ;
8. Be Prepared ; 9. The Stampede ; 10. Rafiki Mourns ; 11. Hakuna Matata ; 12.
One by One ; 13. The Madness of King Scar ; 14. Shadowland ; 15. The Lion Sleeps
Tonight ; 16. Endless Night ; 17. Can You Feel the Love Tonight ; 18. He Lives
in You (reprise) ; 19. Simba Confronts Scar ; 20. King of Pride Rock/Circle of
Live (reprise)
The film version of the song "Can you feel the love tonight" was a hit
single for Elton John.
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TIM RICE
Sir Tim Rice is a British writer of song lyrics. He wrote words to Andrew Lloyd-Webber's
music for the musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ
Superstar and Evita. He collaborated with Abba's Benny and Bjorn to create the
musical Chess. He worked for Disney to write lyrics for the films Aladdin and
Aida.
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VOCABULARY
Several of the names are Swahili words (the most common language in Africa). Simba
means "lion", Nala is "gift", Pumbaa means "foolish/careless/slow-witted".
The song title "Hakuna matata" means "no worries".
If English is not your first language you may want to read the lyrics of the songs
before you see the show. These can be found at this website address:
http://theatre-musical.com/lionking/lyrics.html
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SUITABILITY
English: If you are not a native English speaker you may not understand all
of the jokes and the words of the songs, but you should be able to follow the
story and enjoy the music, dancing and costumes/puppets.
Age: Suitable for people of all ages, including children (children should
be over 4 years old and be able to sit quietly; the matinee performances may be
more suitable for young children, as the evening performances last until after
10pm). This production is just as enjoyable for adults, so don't make the mistake
of thinking that you are too old to see it.
Warnings: A few scenes might frighten some young children. Strobe lighting
is used.
Music: There are songs throughout most of the performance: a mixture of
light pop melodies and African-influenced rhythms and chants.
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FURTHER INFORMATION
Official website for the musical: http://www.disney.co.uk/MusicalTheatre/TheLionKing
Tim Rice's website: http://www.timrice.co.uk
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LINKS
British theatre: Life/Entertainment/Theatre
This section includes detailed guides to these UK musicals:
Les Miserables: Life/Entertainment/Theatre/Les-Miserables
Lord of the Rings: Life/Entertainment/Theatre/Lord-Of-The-Rings
Phantom of the Opera: Life/Entertainment/Theatre/Phantom-Of-The-Opera
Sound of Music: Life/Entertainment/Theatre/Sound-Of-Music
British music: Britain/Music
Events in the UK: Ideas/Events
Home page: Home
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© UK Student Life 2002-2007
* Search this website (www.ukstudentlife.com) or the web:
