The opening of The Lion King is a bona fide five-star moment that reminds you why this musical still rules the theatrical savannah. Forgoing the sentimentality of the 1994 film and the razzle-dazzle of its Broadway peers at the time, it taps into more primal, powerful delights. From its first incantation (translated as “All hail the king” – or “Look, a lion, oh my god”, depending on who you ask), it builds with a chant, a gathering of human bodies, and finally a procession of animals that leaves the stage to come into the audience, enveloping you in a kind of choreographed ritual. (This is a good moment to check in on your date; if they’re not Having Feelings, they may be some kind of joyless ghoul.)
This sequence encapsulates the best of the show: director Julie Taymor’s breathtaking puppets, costumes and sense of ceremony, Lebo M’s choral music and Garth Fagan’s choreography. It still feels surprising and electric; something so pure and sincere, you can almost forget the bedazzled branded water flasks on sale in the foyer, the fascistic and royalist undertones of the story – and the succession of three- and four-star moments trailing in its wake.
