The Broadway Ferret

Image from www.onlineticketsusa.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

If you liked the movie, you’ll love this show.

For the few not familiar with the show, it’s basically a Disney take on the Shakespeare play Hamlet.  It’s about a lion cub, Simba, who can’t wait to be king, which his uncle, Scar, isn’t looking forward to since he’s now second in line.   Scar then devises a plan to get rid of both his brother and nephew which doesn’t work out as planned.

I absolutely loved the opening number to this show.  I think it’s the best beginning of a show ever.  It helps bring the audience into the show, with the performers going up the aisles in the orchestra and hanging out in the mezzanine.  The other musical numbers were just as good, especially “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”, and “Hakuna Matata”.

The set is quite minimal actually.  The stage has an a circular platform that comes up at certain points during the show.  There’s a sort of foil sun on the backdrop that changes according to the time of day.  The rest of the sets are mostly part of the performer’s costumes to indicate the plains, water and swamp.

One of the most impressive aspects of the show were the costumes.  I liked how the performers weren’t just dressed like the characters they were portraying.  Some had masks that rested on their heads that they manipulated like puppets when they spoke.  Others were looked almost exactly like the characters in the animated movie, yet when they spoke, the characters’ mouths moved.  It’s like an animated movie onstage.

I liked how most of the musical stayed true to the movie.  It’s familiar enough that you weren’t worried about what you’re seeing and a little different to make up for the fact that it’s being performed on a Broadway stage.  There were a few scenes that I wasn’t too sure about.  They were definitely not in the movie, though that wasn’t the reason that I didn’t like them.

I would recommend this show for kids and families with young kids, with a disclaimer that it’s a little scary for the younger set.  It’s also appropriate for adults to see by themselves, as it’s not only based on an animated movie but also on an adult play.  Of all the Disney shows on Broadway, I would highly recommend this one.

Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes w/intermission