The Lion King musical is based on the 1994 Walt Disney animated classic, The Lion King.  The musical is adapted from the screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton and produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher.

This musical debuted in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has now become the seventh longest running show on Broadway and is the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, having grossed $853.8 million. The show has toured in multiple cities across the U.S. as well as around the world.  I had the opportunity to attend the show at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, Florida on May 9.

Fans of the film will not be disappointed with the musical. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and the actors give an outstanding performance that will have audiences rising to their feet to give a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Both the film and the play are about a young lion cub named Simba who, through deception and betrayal of his jealous Uncle Scar, is wrongfully blamed for his father Mufasa’s death and runs away from his home.  He meets a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba, who are outcasts like Simba.

They become friends and live a carefree lives under the motto “hakuna matata”, which means “no worries.” Years pass, and back home, Simba’s uncle rules the kingdom and allows his allies, the hyenas, to eat as much as they like, breaking the circle of life. Now all grown up, Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, leaves the pride in search of help and finds Simba. With the help of the wise mandrill, Rafiki, Simba returns home, confronts his past, defeats Scar, and restores the balance. He finally accepts his rightful place as king, and all is well again in the pride lands.

The show opens with a bang. The Pride Rock is the setting for the first scene, as baby Simba is revealed to the rest of the kingdom as Rafiki and the Ensemble cast belt out the “Circle of Life” with “Nants’ Ingonyama.” The drummers-who are placed on both sides of the stage-closed the opening number with a resounding thump on their African drums, which brought the audience to applaud with excitement and approval for what is to come.

The show is about two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission and moves along at a balanced pace. Act One is the longer of the two acts and the better of the two as well. Act Two opens with the Ensemble cast singing “One by One”, a happy and joyous tune. This leads into Scene One which starts out with vultures hovering in the sky, representing the death and lack of food that has occurred under Scar’s reign. It is a stark contrast.

All of the actors’ performances were wonderful, but there were a few that shone brighter than the rest. Actress Buyi Zama was rightfully cast as Rafiki. Her performance was my favorite, as she made the audience laugh throughout the evening and received the most applause. J. Anthony Crane, who portrayed Scar, was memorable. He portrayed the villain excellently and even received a few boos mixed in with the applause. Finally, Mark David Kaplan, who played Mufasa’s confidant Zazu, was hilarious and provided zingers at the right times during the play.

In addition to the original tunes from the film with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the show has additional music and lyrics by Lebo M. Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer.  Out of these new tunes, the most notable was “He Lives in You,” which is first performed during the Under the Stars scene in the first act when Mufasa is disciplining Simba. There is a reprise of the song later on in the second act.

Visually, the show is strikingly beautiful with its sets and lighting which bring out the African themes quite well.

The musical features actors in animal costumes that are designed by Julie Taymor, as well as masks and puppets varying in size, also designed by her and Michael Curry. All of the costumes and puppets were colorful and magnificent. The cheetah costume was the coolest, as it featured an actor using their hands to control the front part of the cheetah’s body while their own legs were inside the hind legs of the puppet, propelling the puppet to move as though it was a real cheetah. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

The hyenas were another costume that stood out. The actors’ legs were the hyena’s hind legs, and their hands held sticks molded to look like a hyena’s front legs. Their hyena masks even had moveable mouths.

All in all, The Lion King is a worthy successor to the film. The show will finish its Orlando tour on May 13, so check your local theater to find out when the musical will be coming to your town.

Image Courtesy of   The Lion King

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World-renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, has performed at the Oscars, Grammy’s, Olympics, and now most recently, the State University of New York at Fredonia. The Paris native who was born to Chinese parents boasts an impressive resume with his cello, from playing in front of John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower when he was just seven to honoring his late friend, Steve Jobs, at a memorial this past October.

Releasing 75 records, holding 16 Grammy awards, a National Medal of the Arts, the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award, and the appointed Culture Connect Ambassador by the Department of the State, Yo-Yo Ma is one of the most famous and influential musicians that Fredonia has ever had perform.

Ma traveled to the campus of just about 5,000 students on December 7 to sit in and offer advice to students in the School of Music. He took the stage the following night in King Concert Hall with the College Symphony Orchestra, consisting of about 100 students, and their music director, David Ruge. The concert, also serving as a scholarship benefit, was sold out in a matter of two hours when tickets went on sale back in May for the 1.145 seating venue.

Ma walked out onto the stage with his 1733 Montagnana cello and a broad smile to thunderous applause, shouting, and whistling from every spectator. His friendliness is as impressive as his musical talent. Ma stopped to shake hands and exchange greetings with fellow musicians. When he did sit down as the soloist for the College Symphony Orchestra to play Antonin Dvorak’s “Cello Concerto in B Minor,” nobody made a sound.

Yo-Yo Ma’s classical experience, as well as enthusiasm for music, was blatantly shown as he flawlessly played. Where musicians today merely follow the notes off a sheet and lack emotion or feeling, Ma does not. It seems as though he acts out the music when he plays his cello, creating a connection with the audience.

The cellist repeatedly watched the students nearest to him when he was not playing, with an appreciative and approving smile. Ma finished to a standing ovation and quickly came back out for an encore. Ma seemed extremely excited and happy on the stage, exchanging hugs with the conductor, Ruge, and students. He even offered his bouquet of roses to a nearby violinist. She graciously accepted.

Later this month, Ma will be one of the five individuals to receive the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors, an award for a lifetime of contributions to American culture through the performing arts, presented by President Obama. The event will air December 27 on CBS.

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Fuerza Bruta, the new variety show from the Argentine creators of the long-running De La Guarda, is succeeding in Madrid, Spain at the Price Circus after its release on 11 October. This success was expected, since its premiere in 2005 at Buenos Aires, Argentina, the show has travelled across New York, London, Lisbon, Bogota, Miami and showed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, achieving, according to the producers, “amazing reviews and excellent audience opinions.”

Hundreds of people have watched and experienced the sounds and sights and the attendance numbers have only gone up since it premiered. “Fantastic show. Hard to describe it. You just have to go.”

Created by Diqui James, Fuerza Bruta – or translated from Spanish Brute Force — is not part of the usual theater genre. In fact, some Spanish media have categorized it as the kind of theater that people who don´t really like theater would like.

From the very beginning, you will not know what to expect. The performance area is huge, dark, and mysterious, playing with your imagination and curiosity. One of the scene’s most impressive installments is a massive shallow plastic pool where four female performers are splashing around like mermaids. This big pool descends from above to the audience who are standing throughout the entire spectacle. A very helpful suggestion for female patrons would be to wear shoes that they won’t get too uncomfortable in!

During the Fuerza Bruta, the audience is expected to participate in the performance. Be prepared for both voluntary and involuntary involvement as the performers will grab and bring people on stage or engage their spectators in other ways. You can get wet, or you could have a pizza box stuffed with powder and confetti thrown over your head. For this reason, we recommend that you dress casual and think twice before spending hours in front of the mirror; this evening is not likely to come before a night on the town.

The stunning visuals, great music, energetic dancers and the audience participation creates a show which is bound to challenge your mind. You’re also encouraged to touch the set, which is a pretty rare opportunity compared to similar shows.

Fuerza Bruta ends its stay in Madrid this Sunday and unfortunately, so far the production has not announced their next destination. Either way, at Toonari Post, we believe this would be a ‘must-see’ for all. It’s an interesting and fun experience that will introduce you to an hour of incredible alternate reality.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jairomag/3746988566/

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In the barren Black Rock Desert of Nevada, people and resources are scarce. But once a year, thousands of participants join together for the annual Burning Man Festival. 2011’s Burning Man took place from August 29 to September 5, where nearly 50,000 people from around the world created a temporary city in the desert, making it the most populous community in the county for that time.

Burning Man is not your ordinary festival with headlining performances by famous musicians. It is a distinct festival because there are no rules, aside from keeping the community safe and clean. Stepping into the temporary society of Burning Man is a unique experimental experience.

Burning Man has set foundations in creating a community where one has not existed before. Thousands of people come together with their own resources and supplies they will need to survive throughout the week in the desert. Participants in Burning Man camp out in the desert during the duration of the festival and rely on themselves as well as other people in the community.

People are encouraged to participate in the makeshift community as much or as little as they want, knowing that their own contribution to Burning Man has an impact on the festival as a whole. Strong bonds are formed and self exploration is highly encouraged.

Burning Man has strong roots in self expression and art. Each year, the festival has a theme for the artwork presented. For 2011’s Burning Man, the theme  was Rites of Passage. All across the temporary community, art installations are presented and people are often inspired to create their own art as well.

The Rites of Passage theme was chosen to signify the change people go through while attending the festival, as well as the emotions that surface when people loose cherished loved ones.

Based on the Rites of Passage theme, participants are known to dress up in costumes throughout the festival in forms of self expression. Art installations pop up around the temporary city as people enjoy their new forms of extreme reliance on themselves and one another to survive throughout the week long period. There are performances and theme camps, as well as dramatic sculptures.

The Center Camp Café is one of the popular spots where performances are ongoing. Musical performances by the participants of Burning Man usher in a wide variety of genres, including jazz, marching bands, and experimental music. The overall energy of the Café is geared to inspiring people with their talents and bringing a positive, social environment for all who wish to join in.

Comedy shows, spoken word performances, and even magicians are also highlights of the artistic acts that express their talents at the Center Camp Café.

The Fire Conclave is another key component of the dominant self expression theme throughout Burning Man. A group of people perform a scheduled fire show that signifies the spirit of life. People who attend Burning Man gather around the massive fire ceremony to dance and play drum beats while the performance goes on.

Participation in this event  are  said to bring together the community and to strengthen the bonds of its members. Burning Man takes a strong stance towards assuring that the Black Rock Desert is not negatively harmed by pollution. Burning Man believes in being a Leave No Trace Event.

Even though thousands of people come together for a week in the harsh desert, there is no trace of them once they leave. Participants of Burning Man believe in protecting the environment by continuously recycling and taking sustainable measures to make sure the Black Rock Desert remains just the way they found it.

The week long journey into Burning Man is one full of conscious awareness of the environment, ongoing art performances, and extreme self expression. Experiencing Burning Man is a unique way to participate in a festival that is truly one of a kind.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelholden/

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Next November, Lady Gaga will release a photo book that includes her newest photo shoots and snaps of the singer. The popular artist states that this new photo book is absolutely “intimate”.

It is the first time the public will see a book with these special features. The editorial Grand Central Books is going to publish a new brand with the most special moments in Lady Gaga’s career. The photo book will provide the most random and behind-the-scenes moments of her life. It will include the latest images of her last album “Born this way”.

One of the most renowned photographers in the fashion industry, Terry Richardson, will release more than 350 pictures of the artist.

Lady Gaga had been looking forward to work with him again since the photographer joined her “Monster Ball” tour. She told Vogue magazine that he was driving her crazy following her the whole time; he used to follow her when she was changing, inside the bus and even when she used to pee.

Sources on the internet said that the book will also include eccentric photos, such as Lady Gaga “peeing in a cup.” Terry Richardson is famous for doing a lot of gross things in his career. Gaga said in an interview that she is ready to follow any Richardson instruction because she loves her fans:

“He loves her fans as much as I do,”Gaga said.  “My favourite thing, honestly, is that he loved the fans. He shot the fans the same way he shot me; with no pretence.”The book has taken a lot of work and perseverance. Richardson was given free access to Gaga’s life for almost ten months.

Lady Gaga has always been famous for her public appearances and concerts. She recently had shot her last video clip “You and I”, which was extremely different from her other music videos. Gaga, discussing the video said, “It does take place in Nebraska, and I’m walking all the way from New York City to find this guy, and as I’m walking my feet start to bleed and I begin to get very tired, and all these strange things start to happen in a cornfield in the middle of nowhere.”

This same month Gaga said to US shock jock Howard Stern that she had a cocaine habit in the past:

“I think that I was lonely and there was something about the drug that made me feel like I had a friend,”Gaga said.

With the original title: “Lady Gaga” the publishing company will send her book to every store starting on November 22.Grand Central Books said “Lady Gaga will be one of the most stunning, provocative and coveted books of the 2011 holiday season.” Fans all over the world should be ready to see the most extravagant sites of their favourite singer.
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