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Presents

THE LION KING, winner of 24 major industry awards, is bringing all its awe - inspiring pageantry of costumes, masks, puppets, sets, lighting, special effects and magnificent musical numbers performed by an incomparable cast to the Sarofin Hall of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts at 800 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas USA 77002 from  July 10 - August 12, 2012.
 

THE LION KING

July 10 - August 12, 2012

At the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Sarofim Hall

Hakuna Matata! Tickets Now on Sale for The Lion King in Houston

News By Broadway.com Staff March 10, 2012 - 11:00AM

Tickets are now on sale for the national tour of The Lion King in Houston. The Disney musical will open on July 10 at Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center and close on August 12.

A lively stage adaptation of the Academy Award-winning animated film, The Lion King is the story of Simba, a young lion prince born into the royal family, who idolizes his kingly father, Mufasa, while youthfully shirking the responsibility his position in life requires. When an unthinkable tragedy, orchestrated by Simba’s wicked uncle, Scar, takes his father’s life, Simba flees the Pride Lands, leaving his loss and the life he knew behind. Simba starts anew, but eventually, the weight of responsibility comes to find the adult prince, and Simba must take on a formidable enemy and fulfill his destiny to be king. The score by Elton John and Tim Rice features the songs “The Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.”

The show stars Jelani Remy as Simba, J. Anthony Crane as Scar, Dionne Randolph as Mufasa, Buyi Zama as Rafiki, Syndee Winters as Nala, Ben Lipitz as Pumbaa and Nick Cordileone as Timon. The production is directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor.

Don’t let this stage spectacular pass you by; get your tickets today!

Description

Experience the phenomenon. The most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the stage. Visually stunning, technically astounding and with a musical score like none other you’ve ever heard.

Giraffes strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap. The entire savannah comes to life and as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist.

See the Tony® Award-winning Broadway sensation that Newsweek calls “a landmark event in entertainment.” The New York Times says, “There is simply nothing else like it.”

Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by a cast of more than 40 actors. Wonder at the inspiration of award-winning director Julie Taymor, who created visual images for this show that you’ll remember forever.

Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar®-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.”

This show is a Season Special and is not part of the Season Package and must be purchased separately.

Story

A lively stage adaptation of the Academy Award-winning 1994 Disney film, The Lion King is the story of a young lion prince living in the flourishing African Pride Lands. Born into the royal family, precocious cub Simba spends his days exploring the sprawling savanna grasslands and idolizing his kingly father, Mufasa, while youthfully shirking the responsibility his position in life requires. When an unthinkable tragedy, orchestrated by Simba’s wicked uncle, Scar, takes his father’s life, Simba flees the Pride Lands, leaving his loss and the life he knew behind. Eventually companioned by two hilarious and unlikely friends, Simba starts anew. But when weight of responsibility and a desperate plea from the now ravaged Pride Lands come to find the adult prince, Simba must take on a formidable enemy, and fulfill his destiny to be king. A vibrant and exciting tale from the great creatives at Disney, The Lion King is a story of love and redemption that nobody should miss.

Should I See It?

What is The Lion King Like?
With a pulsing spectacle driven by primal African rhythms, unforgettable tunes (including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”) and a jaw-dropping display of exotic African wildlife brought to life onstage, there are good reasons why The Lion King won a half-dozen Tony Awards in 1998. Intensely physical stage work and countless visual surprises hold your attention from start to finish.

Is The Lion King Good for Kids? 
Simba’s creepy journey into an elephant graveyard and the death of his father can be as unsettling to young viewers as they were in the original film, but if your brood can handle the movie, there’s no reason not to see it live. You can bet your bottom dollar on Disney’s reliably family friendly fare.

The Lion King’s Jelani Remy Remains Royal on the Road by Burning the Funk Away

The touring life ain’t easy, but we polled the pros for their tips on surviving the ultimate road trip: a national tour.These actors have mastered the art of the bus-and-truck lifestyle. This edition of Road Rules features Jelani Remy who plays Simba, the prodigal son of The Lion King on tour. Remy filled out our questionnaire and shared his tips for freshening up a hotel room and sweating it out on the road.

The five items I can’t live without on the road:
1. Broadway.com.
2. My phone.
3. Ricola cough drops. (My saving grace.)
4. A humidifier, for those dryer regions.
5. Syndee Winters, who plays Nala.

The first thing I do when I check into a hotel room is:
Burn some sage to get rid of past guest funk.

When arriving in a new city, the most important thing to do is:
Scope out the must-do's in each city. I like to find all the spots special and exclusive to every city I'm into restaurants, lounges and historic places. I also like to make a point to just venture out and wander. Being on a national tour has been an incredible way to realize how beautiful our country is.

The best way to blend in a new city is:
Well, let's be honest. People are going to notice when a pack of beautiful black people invade Toledo, Ohio. But uh, maybe a hat or a circle scarf?

My method of staying fit while traveling is:
I've really found a passion for Bikram yoga. I am no Yogi, but a nice hour-long class gives me the warm-up my body needs for the day. The heat and sweating not only detoxes, but keeps my body in shape and flexible for The Lion King.

See Jelani Remy and the rest of the pride while The Lion King plays Houston from July 10 through August 12, 2012.

Find Out How The Lion KIng's Nick Cordileone 'Hijacked' His Way into Pride Rock

About the Author:
Nick Cordileone plays Timon, Simba’s feisty meerkat ally in the national tour of The Lion King. In addition to appearing off-Broadway in The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd, Cordileone claims to be no victim of typecasting, having also played such eclectic roles as Candida, Alice Sycamore, the females of The 39 Steps and Grandpa Ben in Broadway Bound. Broadway.com asked Cordileone to document his experience with Disney’s stage phenomenon. Read on to learn about Cordileone’s fateful audition, being inspired by the show’s acclaimed director Julie Taymor and on-the-road companionship with his daughter.



My journey with The Lion King began as an audition reader—the person assigned to read scenes with the actor there to audition. But Mufasa as my witness, I was not trying to sneak into the show. My experience at that point had been primarily classical, non-musical and regional. The Lion King was about as far off my radar as The Gin Game. I was stringing together enough reader gigs to make a healthy living and I prided myself on not being "that guy" who hijacks other people’s auditions.

A few auditions in, the casting director asked me if I was interested in being considered for a role. The Lion King was orchestrating several principle transitions for Broadway, the Las Vegas production and the national tour; he didn’t know which company I’d fit into, or it which role. I was given several invaluable puppetry sessions with the associate director and after weeks of listening to his expertise, the role of Timon seemed to be the best potential fit for me. It was time to see if The Lion King’s acclaimed director, Julie Taymor, agreed.

My initial audition was out of the way, so I went into my meeting with Taymor with the freedom to soak up the master class atmosphere she created. It was a true gift to hear Taymor speak personally about a project that has impacted her life so powerfully. Since Lion King opened on Broadway over 14 years ago, her passion and dedication to this work hasn’t diminished. At the end of this fulfilling day, I was given the opportunity to play Timon on tour.

The scope, production value and magnitude of the tour were intimidating to me at first. I wasn't sure I was equipped to hit the ground running as a novice puppeteer. Yet Disney's approach to The Lion King is exceptional in that the story comes first. As long as the storytelling is sound, expertise can be honed. The rehearsal process is thoughtfully built to accommodate gradual integration of the text, masks and puppets.

The past year and half on tour has flown by and I love it more each day. My nine-year-old daughter, Hero, tours with me, and together we explore the joys of home-away-from-home schooling. We are often close enough to New York to keep the maximum time apart from my wife, Amy, down to three weeks. Facetime, Skype, and iChat are virtual staples in our nontraditionally traditional family. Amy's teaching schedule at New York University affords summers and holidays together in whatever burg we temporarily call home. Additionally, the sense of a surrogate family that is created among the cast in most shows has greatly benefitted me here. An electric quality develops when a company works, plays and lives together; I am delighted to be a part of it.

All that said, if you see me at your next callback audition, breathe easy. Current circumstances haven't shifted the paradigm—this reader is only eager to get you work.

See Cordileone and the rest of the Lion King pride at Houston’s Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center from July 10 through August 12, 2012.

Star J. Anthony Crane on Allowing His ‘Animal Nature’ to Take Over in The Lion King Tour

The elaborate costumes used in The Lion King and the ornate masks worn by some of the actors are part of what has made the show a stage phenomenon since its Broadway debut almost 15 years ago. The national tour will roar into Houston from July 10 through August 12, and J. Anthony Crane will be prowling the stage as the villainous Scar. Crane talked with Broadway.com about the logistics of his mask and how he suits up for the Disney spectacle.

The Scar mask pivots and lowers atop Crane’s head and is powered by a small motor; however, Crane says it’s his job to make it all seem as natural as possible. “The great challenge I have is to make a theatrical trick look like an organic event and not break people out of the moment,” Crane said. “The best way it was described to me was by our director Julie Taymor: Scar is giving into his animal nature when the mask comes down. He keeps it in check at the top of his head when he speaks in his normal voice, and when he can’t contain himself anymore, he lashes out and that’s when the mask lowers.”

Although Crane gets to bask in the glory of the eye-popping show, he admits that he wouldn’t mind playing a role that’s a little less high maintenance. “The next show I do, I would love to do it in my pajamas and have my head shaved,” Crane said with a laugh. “However, there’s a ritual to getting into the costume and the makeup; it’s kind of the fun of it. On the outside, the show is this children’s theatrical experience, but in the hands of Julie Taymor’s vision, it takes on a little bit more of a mystical, spiritual approach to theater. That whole process allows me to get into the mood and calm down going into the performance.”

In The Lion King, Crane is joined on stage by Jelani Remy as Simba, Dionne Randolph as Mufasa, Buyi Zama as Rafiki, Syndee Winters as Nala, Ben Lipitz as Pumbaa and Nick Cordileone as Timon.

Crane recognizes Taymor’s incorporation of both the masks and the traditions that come with them as “the power that has made the show so lasting. I love being a part of the imagination process of a child’s experience.”

 
LION KING runs July 10th through August 12, 2012 on the Sarofim Hall of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.  For more information visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

Watch It: Director Julie Taymor Dissects the ‘Prodigal Son Story’ of The Lion King

By Broadway.com Staff June 6, 2012 - 6:19PM

With the gigantic success of the 1994 animated film and the long-running hit Broadway musical, the story of The Lion King is cherished by audiences all over the world. But did you know that the tale of Simba’s journey to become king of the Pridelands is steeped in literary tradition? In this video, director Julie Taymor talks about the classic themes of The Lion King, which she calls “a prodigal son story.” Resident director of the Broadway company Jen Bender discusses the pervasive theme of the Circle of Life throughout the show, while Disney Theatrical Group president Thomas Schumacher explains the reoccurring physical circles that show up throughout the production. Watch the video below, then get your tickets to see The Lion King when it plays Houston from July 10 through August 12, 2012.