Adam Jacobs was in the Lion King? - Page 2

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 5:08pm

As long as we're discussing him, let's give a plug to his upcoming February 23 show at Town Hall with Ali Ewoldt:
A Heart Full of Love - Adam Jacobs and Ali Ewoldt - 2-23-13 @ Town Hall

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 6:24pm

I don't think the ethnicity matters to the character in a textual sense- I think it matters to Taymor's direction and production/interpretation of the text, which would be essentially moot in non-Taymor productions.

Taymor has taken a somewhat symbolic stance on the material, with Simba and the Pride representing not only a group of lions, but the African "ubuntu" philosophy of collectivism and pride- "I am, because we are," or "I am what I am because of what we all are together"- a philosophy of which Scar, a self-serving and self-interested tyrant, is not part of. Similarly, Timon and Pumbaa, as nihilists, are outside the "ubuntu" philosophy. The "lions equals African culture equals Ubuntu symbol" theme is driven home by Taymor's conception of Rafiki as both a griot priestess "clan mother" and a symbol of Africa itself, which was achieved at the expense of almost all references, textual or staged, to Rafiki as a monkey shaman.

That doesn't mean this is what "The Lion King" IS, only that it's what Taymor's production is. Similar to the way "Sweeney Todd" by Sondheim and Wheeler is not Marxist social critique, but Prince's staging of the text was.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 6:55pm

In PalJoey's picture captioned "Hakuna Matata," I noticed they are all wearing shoes. have they always done this? Seems like I remember many people being barefoot or having footpads or something less noticeable than those shoes. They kind of stick out, or I have just never noticed (which means I guess they don't stick out?). lol

[Justin D]

Posted: 2/6/13 at 11:38am

never seen any barefoot performers in lion king, even the now cut arealists that look practically naked wore skin toned flats