Musical in the City - The Lion King at the Orpheum Theatre

The musical The Lion King is finally back in San Francisco. Can you believe I have not seen this show before? Mijo and I missed it in Las Vegas two years ago when it was playing at the Mandalay Bay. In San Francisco, the theatre tickets are extra hard to find because the shows are usually sold out during the holiday season. Luckily, Mijo found limited view Orchestra seats!  

On top of our usual shows-to-see during the Christmas holiday, we still managed to see this show last week. Thanks Mijo for the tickets for I truly enjoyed this show!  

Everyone has been raving about this show. The show opened with an explosive first scene which included the ensemble and Rafiki. The characters came from all over the theatre - from the sides, the back, the front. It was like a big party in the savannah and we are upclose to witness it. I now know what my friends who have seen the show have been raving about. Then it was followed by equally exciting scenes 2 through six that introduced the main characters. This show would be enjoyed by both kids and adults.


The props were amazing. Since the characters are supposed to be talking animals, the actors and actresses all wore costumes that double as props. There were giraffes, lionesses, lots of birds, hyenas, grass, trees, caves and forests. I am imagining it is like being in an African savannah. Afterall, it is a Disney production. Stage actor Jelani Remy beautifully played the character Simba and so did Syndee Winters as Nala. Scar was played by Derek Smith and Buyi Zama as Rafiki. Nick Cordileone was perfect as the funny meerkat Timon and so was Ben Lipitz as the comic warthog Pumbaa. I especially liked the scenes involving the ensemble singing what seemed to me are African words. The most beautiful blending of melodies!


If you are thinking of getting Orchestra tickets, make sure to get middle seats. If not, you'll be seeing the sides of the stage which I think takes something away from the overall entertainment experience. We didn't have any choice but buy these limited view tickets because they were the only ones available. Now we know why. :)  

Taking photographs is not allowed during the performane. I hope The Lion King production would not mind because I took this photo at the very end of the show, during the acknowledgement and before the curtain closed.  

The show runs through January 13, 2013 at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco.

~rl