The Lion King Show

Last Thursday night, we took the kids to see the touring show of Disney's The Lion King (part of the Atlanta Broadway Series). We had originally bought the tickets back in November, but the wait was worth it. This was there first experience with theatre, and we definitely picked the right show. There were transfixed by the animals brought to life by the actors/dancers/puppeteers—especially the giraffes, hyenas, and of course Scar. They were enthralled by the whole experience, from the drive into "the big city," to sitting in the balcony, to getting a close-up view of one of the chorus as he waved a bird through the air on a long, flexible pole.

We were taking a risk, because the show started at 8pm, which is when we normally start bed time. Including Intermission, The Lion King takes a solid two hours. Both kids made it well into the second act, with Lauren konking out about halfway through the second act and Andrew holding on until the penultimate number.

Ever since that night, both Lauren and Andrew have frequently burst into song, in particular the introductory chant from the opening number "Circle of Life." According to the CD's liner notes, the chant (which I believe is in Swahili) goes:

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba

Their rendition is remarkably close.

The Playbill advertised that the Broadway musical rendition of Disney's Tarzan will begin its touring run in Atlanta next January. We can't wait.