The Lion "Swing"...Up, Up and A-Weem-A-Way!!!

Tuesday night I took my mother to the Broadway touring company's production of "The Lion King" that is playing at Michigan State's performing arts center. We were pretty psyched to go; I had been to see it two years ago with Adam when the production was first in East Lansing, but this would be my mother's first time.

If you've never seen the stage production, I have to say that it's a sight to behold. I've found that both times I started crying during the opening scene, where all of these beautiful, colorful safari animals start walking, running and flying on stage. It's simply gorgeous, and so breathtaking, I get a bit overwhelmed. I also like the story of "The Lion King", and the fact that it's set in Africa, an area of the world that doesn't get a lot of Broadway face time, usually. Overall, just a beautiful production.

Anyway, all was going well through both the first and second acts, right up until the second-to-last scene. Simba has just learned that his uncle Scar is responsible for his father Mufasa's death, and Simba has chased Scar up to the top of Pride Rock. Scar cries out, "Simba! You wouldn't hurt me, would you?? I'm your family!"
Simba is just about to reply, "I'm not like you, Scar...I can't kill!", when all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, a big wire yanks the back of Scar's costume and carries him away into the air. He flies off of Pride Rock--yes, flies--and is carried away off-stage. Simba stands confused, looking off into the distance for half a second, before climbing down Pride Rock and running offstage to join his flying-lion uncle Scar. Meanwhile, the stage continues to be lit an eerie red-glow, the handdrummers continue drumming, and the hyenas standing at the bottom of Pride Rock pace around quietly, while we all wait to see what has become of Simba and the flying lion.

About a minute later, Simba and Scar, now wingless, come running onto the stage, battling about the death of Mufasa and the play goes on from there. It was very bizarre. I don't think I've ever seen such an error in a Broadway production before. But I guess it humanized the whole thing for me. We all get it wrong sometimes, even Broadway.