Broadway Access Review -
The Lion King

General:

• there is so much leg room in this theater, it is magical

• I am conflicted about whether or not I would have liked to have earplugs for this show. Some of the songs are quiet and some are quite loud, some things start loud but then you get used to it quickly, a lot of the percussion is kinda loud but if I had earplugs on I would miss everything else going on… I’d say bring them and assess in real time

• this show is often kids’ first show ever, so the audience is often a bit more restless [and cute] than at your average Broadway show. The semi-loud audio meant that I wasn’t really bothered by it (also the show is super visual, stylized, and sensory-based so you’re never really distracted from the stage)

Act I:

• Circle of Life - performers travel up each orch aisle and are on the each side of the mezzanine & there is a big boom and blackout at the end of the number

• The Lioness Hunt - when they chase the antelope (about halfway through the song), there are flashing white lights from the sides of the stage for ~5 seconds. They are on/off and alternating, not traditional strobe

• “Not the way I see it!” - red curtains come down really quickly, has the same effect as a quick light change

• Just Can’t Wait To Be King - there are lots of colors and stripes moving around in this number

• quick white light on when the creatures congregate on stage left

• white downspots move around on the stage

• “standing in the spotlight” - white spotlights slide in from either side really quickly 

• white lights pointed at the audience that quickly wash from bottom to top at the end of the song

• “pinned ya again” - loud steam spout from the stage

• “slobbering mangy stupid poachers” “WHAT?” - loud start to song (this song is very loud)

• “birdie-boiler” - white downstrobes & the white wash over the audience

• really quick lighting changes at the end of the ?second chorus

• after the teeny tiny roar there are flashing white lights and loud drums

• Be Prepared - this song has lots of quick lighting changes, on/off downspouts, constant flashing from either side, and steam spouts - primary colors are red, orange, and white

• The Stampede - starts after Simba’s big roar, very loud

• “long live the king!” - ~7 seconds full stage white strobes followed by white audience wash

• Simba exits through the house right aisle

• quick light change after Simba enters on the rope during Hakuna Matata

Act II:

• opening number of Act II has people in the aisles and on the mezzanine sides; house lights slightly up

• Scar’s “you all belong to me” - light turns off with flash

• with the river, there are moving lights behind the cloth and sometimes the cloth moves up a tad, shining the light onto the audience

• “Timon you gotta get up!” - the spotlight on Simba changes quickly (either red to white or white to red)

• “side of flies” - very gentle moving twinkle lights

• “was it something I said?” - dark sparkly shimmering lights for ~5 sec

• moving speckly lights over the entire stage when Rafiki points her stick at center stage which stay for the entirety of He Lives In You and occasionally have movement underneath the light

• when Simba dances toward stage L there is a quick spotlight

• End of Reprise - quick white downlights that move from around the stage to the center

• “dress in drag and do the Charleston?” - sparkly outfit for maybe 5-10 seconds

• when Scar yells “the king Mufasa was!” there is thunder and a ~3 second white strobe

• Fight Sequence (also very loud!)

  • “I! Killed! Mufasa!” - 10 seconds full stage white strobe

  • after Simba throws hyenas, there’s a ~3 sec full stage white strobe

  • another 3 sec strobe next time we see Simba fight

  • when the cloth thing exits the stage there is another thunder crash and ~3 sec strobe

  • “as you wish, your majesty” - 5 sec full white strobe

• big boom and blackout at the end of the finale Circle of Life