Study of Spaces – Physical

T H E   L I O N   K I N G

The Lion King musical opened on Broadway in November 1997. Based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated feature film of the same name, it is one of the biggest, longest-running musical productions in the world.

I went to watch The Lion King musical last August, and it was my first actual musical experience, which I had been looking forward to since forever. And I can say, every single cent was worth it. Sure, I knew the story and the songs well, but the musical brought this beloved animation to life in such a way that I never imagined would be so enchanting.

The elaborate sets, the props, the costumes, the stage design, they all culminate in an entertaining and memorable show. At almost every moment, I loved how they translated the moments on screen to a spectacle on stage.

Click here to experience a 360 degree view of its opening scene.

P E R C E P T U A L

A musical is a stage, a performance. I feel that it employs many different mediums to deliver a story, a show. The medium is not only the acting and the music, there is also the stage design – everything from sets, props, costume, makeup, etc, and the external marketing and publicity plans.

The audience, while they are only seated in the comfy chairs, are perceptually engaged in numerous ways, mainly through sight and hearing. In Lion King, most of the audience would know of the story from the original animation. The directors of the show then has this challenge to present the story in a completely different way through song and dance. With the advancement of technology, sets are brought alive on stage through movement and lights.

A R C H I T E C T U R A L

I feel that architecturally, this production was very rich, and it did not disappoint. They were designed in a way that would support the story, but also created a visual masterpiece. There was a good balance between elaborate and simple, and even the simple sets were as effective.

The costumes and puppetry were also the highlight of the show. It is one thing to bring a theatre to live, but it is another thing to bring an animal kingdom to live on stage with human actors.

I loved how they did not restrict themselves to simply replicate real life, but they did it in a style that was both pleasing and culturally expressive.

Overall, every single detail contributed to enhance the space by tenfolds, creating an out-of-the-world experience for the viewers, who feel like they were transported to another realm, another dimension.

C U L T U R A L

The Lion King was written based on the Pride Lands of Africa. The musical showcases the African culture through the artistic department. The Swahili language is also featured, with accurate representation in the actors themselves.

The colours leaned towards a majority of warmer tones, which invokes a sense of warmth in the audience, and this also relates to the sun, and the overall atmosphere of the African setting. Other than that, there are also vibrant colours that enliven the scenes. Overall, the colours used in each dance piece, each scene, were carefully coordinated to create different moods which matched the settings of the different scenes.

I M M E R S I O N

Other than the show being really big in terms of scale, with almost life size costumes, tall giraffes, large elephants, there are a few other features of the musical that helped to create an immersive experience for its viewers.

Breaking the fourth wall – the performance was not limited to the stage. In multiple parts throughout the show, performers zoomed through the aisles, or danced amongst the audience. This brings the audience themselves closer into the heart of the performance, and experience the dancers and costumes in closer proximity. The whole theatre becomes the stage.

The actors also interacted with the audience and addressed them, engaging them and making them feel like a part of the performance, which makes it feel less of watching a screen, a framed stage. There were also jokes that were specific to Singapore, which I felt was entertaining as the Singaporean population that watched it felt a deeper connection – it was also something funny and memorable.