The Lion King...Bad.

[Brooks0214]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 5:11pm

I just got out of the Lion King and I am beyond disappointed. It was the worst broadway show Ive ever seen. The only thing it had going for it for me was the staging and scene design. And not even all of that was good. ACT 1 finale (Hakuna Matata) was absolutely awful and the definition of boring I cannot believe that is how act 1 ended. Same for Can you feel the love tonight, that was very bland and boring. Does anyone else not like it??? I was so excited to see it and I hate it was awful The only reason its still on Broadway is because of the name.
(And no disrespect to anyone involved and all that even though the cast wasnt good and that is a factor into why it was so bad)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 5:15pm

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I have always found the show to be an overhyped and colossal bore.

[Bigserver1]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 5:38pm

From a book/score perspective, it's among my least favorite musicals. I think the staging and costume/animal work is spectacular and somewhat makes up for it from an entertainment perspective. It's touring here next year and we'll take our son...I am hoping maybe I have a new experience seeing it through his eyes and reactions. We'll see.

[Brooks0214]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 5:56pm

I agree. Staging and scene design were the best part. I was disappointed with the score greatly. I’m glad I saw it now so I’ll never have to see it again.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 6:08pm

I hated it, but then I did have the worst seats in the theatre.

I have considered going back and giving it another chance, but I don't think I'll bother x

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 6:18pm

Anyone I know who has seen it says it's all downhill after the opening.

So I've saved my money. I saw the opening on the Tony Awards.

[Brooks0214]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 6:32pm

Yes please save your money. And also I just can wait to be king ... what the hell was that number ? Couldn’t of been worse.

[Brooks0214]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 6:32pm

Yes please save your money. And also I just can wait to be king ... what the hell was that number ? Couldn’t of been worse.

[Brooks0214]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 6:32pm

Yes please save your money. And also I just can wait to be king ... what the hell was that number ? Couldn’t of been worse.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 10:17pm

It’s visually interesting which is why it’s run all these years in various countries! I mean it has sitdowns all over that are still sold-out! Quite impressive!

[glinda_cady_newsie]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 10:30pm

I do get sick of some of the classics. EVERYONE knows "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", but what about "Shadowland" and "Morning Report"? Those are great songs. But I think you have to go for the scenic design/costumes/puppeteering. It is absolutely stunning when the animals come walking down the aisle in "Circle of Life". I've seen it twice on Broadway and am blown away every time. Plus it's family friendly, unlike many of the shows currently playing. Even you don't want to go again and again, you have to admit, the show is unlike any other that's playing on Broadway.

[AADA81]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 10:55pm

I saw the first touring company in Boston.  I thought the show was pedestrian for the most part.  The opening scene, of course, was astounding but after that it was made for the kiddies.  Much of the text is silly child-like chattering and the staging is ineffective.  "Endless Night" could have been an emotional home-run, but in the staging it was a one-off and over with no resonance.  Very disappointing.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 10:58pm

It’s also WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY too long x

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 11:16pm

OP, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion. The fact that the show is approaching it’s 22nd anniversary on Broadway indicates that you are probably in the minority.

It’s not my favorite show, but I would never call it bad...at least not with the productions that I’ve seen on Broadway and in the West End.

Perhaps the production is getting tired. I don’t know as I saw it early on in New York and when it opened in London. I did see a yawn-inspiring performance of POTO 13 years ago on Broadway after having seen it the year it first opened.

[SpookyFish13]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 11:16pm

I saw the Friday matinee today, and I agree, I was slightly disappointed. I had SUCH high expectations, and was a little let down...

Of course the staging was AMAZING, and it was a visual feast, but the acting was a bit lazy (it was a special Friday matinee for charity so that could explain that). The stand out for me was Scar. I feel like “Be Prepared” was the song that really blew me away. The rest was a bit lukewarm.

And they threw in some really bad 4th wall breaking references. Like Zazu singing a couple lines from “Let it Go” when he’s locked in the bone-cage. That was super cringy...

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 8/9/19 at 11:30pm

I haven’t seen the show recently but I believe the regular Simba, Brad Gibson, hurt his arm and is out for a few weeks. They also switched the actress playing Nala within the past month. So maybe there are some adjustment issues going on.

As for the music, it took me a while to get used to the new stuff. Now I love it. He Lives In You is my favorite.

[Joe Mayo]

Posted: 8/10/19 at 12:21am

I saw it for the first time a few weeks back. I enjoyed the choreography and everyone knows the story.

But I thought some of the leads were weak both vocally and in their acting (which felt very mechanical).

Simba and scar were disappointments for me, I just didnt think the actor that played scar had the right voice for the part.

Perhaps it's just not the right cast mix right now. I'll wait fg or it to turn over and then give it another go.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 8/10/19 at 12:27am

It's spectacle. I originally saw it in Toronto and hated the show. I saw it a few years later on Broadway and appreciated it a lot more. The book is not strong, but the costumes, puppetry, and choreography are excellent. Of the new music, I like Shadowland and He Lives in You. 

[David10086]

Posted: 8/10/19 at 8:29pm

Never saw it, though a friend of mine was dating someone who was one of the musicians when it first opened, and this guy stayed with it for a few years. He was able to get me tickets to it, though I had no interest and didn't take up his multiple  (generous) offers whenever I was in town. A few years ago, the subject came up of the long-running shows I still hadn't seen on B'way ('Wicked' is another), and my friend finally admitted 'I dodged a bullet'. He saw it numerous times because of the guy he was dating at the time, and finally admitted he never liked it. 

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 9:35am

Disney shows are not for discerning theater audiences, and that's ok.  It's a great entry level show (as are the other Disney offerings) for families and tourists and folks who have never seen Live Theater and need something familiar and safe to see.

 

I wouldn't call it "lowest common denominator" because I think it takes guts for a tourist or a family to pay $400-800 to see a live theater event, but everything in the Disney family (theater, TV, movies, theme parks) is designed to be non-offensive and accessible for as many folks as possible.  And that means nothing truly edgy or potentially off-putting

[Broadway Buddy]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 10:57am

Won the lotto a while back but I missed the ticket window by 15 mins. Honestly I wasn’t excited to see it anyway. I’ve heard so many mixed things about it and all the good things I’ve heard are from families with little kids.

[Christopher13]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 12:50pm

I agree 100%

[BobPopa]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 3:53pm

I think the show is quite fantastic, and when you look at it being 22 years old, that holds up when thinking about what they did in 1997. The new songs that sprung from the movie score (Shadowland, He Lives in You) are great.

So Zazu sings Let it Go now...in the film it was It's A Small World...it's been a "4th wall joke" for 25 years.

I mean it could not be your cup of tea...sure, but bad theatre...I don't think so, Be More Chill covered that market.

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 5:43pm

BobPopa said: "I mean it could not be your cup of tea...sure, but bad theatre...I don't think so..."

 

I actually just received my ticket for The Lion King in the mail today for when the tour passes through Pittsburgh next month (it’ll be the 2nd time I’ve seen it). I used the Season Subscriber exchange benefit to swap it out with Summer: The Donna Summer Musical....it was either ditch that one or Escape to Margaritaville. Bad theatre is in the eye of the beholder. I did give away my Mean Girls tour ticket. Dodged a bullet on that one. lol  

And I still have yet to see a show that I didn’t like. I feel very fortunate in that aspect. That may change with ETM. :)

 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 6:18pm

I loved it when it first opened, with the exception of the choreography for the dancing hyenas that remind me more of episodes of Fame than anything else.  But the rest of the show was a visual feast and much of the score still sounded fresh and new.  I took my husband to see it for the first time in London about 3 years ago and the show is starting to feel a bit dated.  The London cast was very hit-or-miss (to put it kindly) and while the design is still lovely in parts, the show has lost its innovative edge over the years and the sets wear showing signs of wear and tear.  I'm glad it's still dong well as I do think the show itself is excellent, but if the Broadway production is anything like what I witnessed in London, I could see why some would find it disappointing.  It's not a good representation of what it was back in 1997-98.  They could take some pointers from Phantom of the Opera.  A show that still manages to impress, even after all these years.