We thought we were in for a children’s show, dreading the overdone Disney schmaltz… Our fears vanished at the speed of a sunrise. The Lion King on stage exudes a formidable inventiveness and opens up an imaginary world that appeals to all ages. It’s no surprise that this musical is now in its seventh season at the Théâtre Mogador in Paris. This journey into the African savannah plunges us into a theatrical universe filled with puppets, masks, shadow play, laughter and emotion, offering a visually stunning show that’s a world away from the American studio’s big fluffy, sometimes kitschy universe.
After attending The Lion King, all you want to do is go behind the scenes to see the high-precision craft involved. The resources deployed to bring these animals’ Shakespearean story to life – 50 actors (including 14 children), 100 technicians, 10 musicians and a conductor – are truly impressive. So we sneaked into the hallways, into the workshops and under the stage of the Théâtre Mogador, to take the measure of the machinery required for such an adventure. It’s like diving into a human beehive amidst an organized maze of shelves, crates, racks and hanging decorations. “The great complexity of this show lies in coordination and organization, in maintaining quality with so many people,” said Laurent Bentata, director general of Stage Entertainment France, the company that owns Mogador (1,600 seats) and produces The Lion King in France.
An hour and a half of preparation
For this imposing system to work, “the choreography backstage is as precise and rigorous as that on stage,” said Olivier Breitman, the actor who plays the lion Scar, Mufasa’s cunning and treacherous brother and uncle to the cub Simba. Between make-up, dressing and the technical installation (battery, motor and cables) designed to animate his mask by a small box hidden in the palm of his right hand, an hour and a half of preparation is necessary before his entrance on stage. “At first, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to manage this mechanism while performing,” said Breitman. “I’ve got over 20 kilos on me, but that helps me with the character.” It took him two months of rehearsals to fully master the technique and the handling of the mask, which he can rotate, raise and lower… “It’s become a natural extension of my body,” he summarized.
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