The Wake

It was as prolific a run as any since the dawn of time. The Roman Empire of family entertainment, Disney was a seemingly unstoppable force. Commencing in 1938 with the release of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, it has been a nearly 60-year run of utter dominance. With Pinocchio and Bambi in the 40’s, Peter Pan and Cinderella in ‘50s, Jungle Book in the ‘60s, Robin Hood in the ‘70s, and the classic string of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Some mark The Lion King as the end of their era, released in 1994. I personally am willing to spot them Pocahontas, which came out a year later, but there’s no denying The Lion King as a quintessential part of every current U of M’ers youth.

It won’t take but a moment for you to realize why director Julie Taymor’s name is usually prefaced by award-winning. Every thing from the dream like, pastoral sets to the mind bending costume structures will have you engaged for the show’s duration. The song list includes all of your movie favorites along with several additions. Each actor and actress passionately embodies their role as one of several different animals. The dark scenes are scary, the funny scenes play successfully to all ages, and many of vocal deliveries will leave you with goose bumps. Whether it’s with a date, a group of close friends, or some visiting family, a November night seeing The Lion King at the Orpheum is safe selection.