*ehem* Sorry. I'm still a little...lot..excited over seeing "The Lion King" musical last night. FINALLY, after 10 years of waiting!
First, a little backstory on my relationship with "The Lion King." It was quite possibly the first movie I ever saw in a theater (that I remember, at least). I was in 1st grade and I definitely cried over Mufasa's death. (Oops...spoiler alert?) It was also probably the first movie I'd seen with that harsh reality portrayed. So, the story was impressed upon my mind from the start.
Only, I forgot to pounce! Confession: I waited 'til the last second to buy tickets for this week, the LAST week it's in Seattle! I wasn't sure we could make it work or if Super Husband was even interested in going. Better late than never, even if it meant we had to move date night to Wednesday and sit up in the third tier. But it was so so so worth it! (Super Husband loved it too, just FYI.)
We ate dinner at Rumba, a Caribbean-style restaurant on Pike Street, and then walked down to the Paramount Theater. The sun was setting and the blinking marquee stood out all the more in the dying light. The lobby was already crowded and I wasn't the only theater-goer staring at the ceiling. EVERY nook and cranny of the Paramount seems to be decorated with filigree and scrollwork. Breathtaking! (I'm serious. Even the bathroom has decorative molding and a fireplace...)
Our seats were taken, not because of double-booking, but because someone wasn't paying attention to her section assignment. Crisis averted. We admired the scrim, "scratch marked" stage, and decorated drums on either side of the pit (couldn't wait to hear them in action!). I decided being so far back wouldn't be so bad--you get the big picture that way.
We were both looking forward to "Circle of Life" the most, and it happened so fast! Instant chills. From the rising sun, to the back-and-forth chants of Rafiki and other animals, there was so much to look at and listen to! The costumes and puppets were even more incredible than I imagined! I was literally choking back tears--happy ones--in the first five seconds! Amazing!
The colors, set pieces, music, and dancing left nothing to be desired. I was smiling non-stop the entire first act (up until Mufasa's death, of course), so much so that my face felt stiff at intermission! And the introduction of Pumba and Timon in the scene before the break gave me even more to smile about.
To give you an idea for how great the puppeteering was, it wasn't unusual to find myself laughing at and admiring the performances of Zazu or Timon, forgetting that the actors were actually standing behind them, dressed in blue or green. It must've been a treat for those acting opposite them, being able to interact with the puppets so realistically.
The antics of Rafiki had me in stitches, and even comic lines I knew by heart were delivered so uniquely that they were given new life. That was the beauty of the show--so familiar, yet unique and exciting.
The final boom of the drum at the end was EPIC. I looked at Super Husband and made the "baby Simba" gesture from his own performance in our All-Campus Sing Off back in the day. Took a few tries for him to figure out what I was doing, and then he laughed. That's quite possibly the first memory I have of him, seven years ago, and I loved being able to share this experience with him now. It was a fantastic night.
The whole ride home, we talked about our favorite scenes/songs, the energy and athleticism of the cast, and how we'd love to see it again...maybe closer to the stage, next time? Until then, I'm content to listen to the soundtrack again and again, imagining the costumes, dances, and spectacle I've just witnessed. It'll take awhile for the feeling to wear off. Not that I want it to.
Fun fact: That quote from the very beginning of the show/movie (and this post) apparently means "There comes a lion." So glad this "Lion" came to Seattle!
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