Theater Review (London): 'The Lion King' – A Wondrous, Roaring Delight

Thanks to my nephews (now in their 20s) and my children (now teens and tweens), I have seen the 1994 film The Lion King hundreds of times. There is no way to gauge a true number of viewings, but the film remained so popular within our family that it was one film we could all agree upon on a family movie night.

Once The Lion King came to Broadway, it was something we always expected to see since live a short train ride away from the Minskoff Theatre, but alas, we never got around to seeing it.

On our recent trip to London we came upon tickets unexpectedly, and thus we were going to finally see the show based upon the movie. We watched the trailer before going to the beautiful Lyceum Theatre in the Covent Garden area of London. As we sat waiting in our seats for the show to start, the sounds of the jungle played over the audio system, heightening our excitement.

What we witnessed from beginning to end was a gorgeous, vibrant, and magnificent reimagining of the beloved film. Director Julie Taymor (also responsible for Costume Design, Mask/Puppet Co-Design, and writing additional lyrics) shows an obvious love and respect for the film by not only embracing it completely but by also enhancing the power of the story and impact on the audience.

The play follows the plot of the film quite faithfully. Since I could probably do all the dialogue of all the characters, I found myself waiting for the delivery of my favorite lines and then being overwhelmed with delight as they were spoken or sung perfectly. There are a few additional songs, including an insightful one from Mufasa (Shaun Escoffery) that basically functions as a soliloquy. These new numbers fit rather seamlessly into the overall production.

Basically, The Lion King is a loose adaptation of Hamlet, with Mufasa the king who is murdered by his brother Scar (played with delicious glee by George Asprey), thus putting his son Simba (Nicholas Afoa) into the position to avenge his father’s death just as Hamlet must do.

Instead of Hamlet’s procrastination and psychological games, we get Simba becoming a mature lion under the care of Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog (the fantastic Damian Baldet and Keith Bookman).  They function as much as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do in Shakespeare’s play, connecting Simba’s childhood to when he becomes an adult, but fortunately they survive.

The rest of the cast excels, with Ava Brennan standing out as Nala, the female lion who will win adult Simba’s heart and inspire him to return to take his rightful place as king of the Pride Lands. An inspired choice is the casting of Brown Lindiwe Mkhize as Rafiki, the role played so memorably by the late Robert Guillaume in the film, but she takes on the role and makes it her own, earning some of the heartiest applause during the curtain call.

As always, the music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice are astounding – I sat there thinking about how well these songs have aged over the last 25 years. Set designer Richard Hudson has managed to incorporate scenes from the Serengeti in such a way that makes sense visually and compliments the scenes from the film with its own exquisite beauty, and choreographer Garth Fagan has brought the characters to life in delightful ways that mimic animal movements and yet give some human characteristics to them as well.

One could not see this play without mentioning the costumes, designed by director Julie Taymor. The imaginative renderings of the animals are amazingly and inventively realized and, as gazelles, antelopes, elephants, and many other creatures prance and pound along the stage, the only reaction is to be in awe as to how it extraordinarily it has been accomplished.

During intermission (or the British interval) we refreshed ourselves and got souvenirs as the true tourists that we were. The runtime of the show is two hours, but it went so swiftly. Afterwards, as we left the theatre, I felt uplifted by having seen such an amazing realization of a beloved film that has entertained our family for a quarter of a century.  I was uncertain how they would be able to capture the essence of the film, but there is no question that that cast and crew have done great justice to the source material.

If you are in London and have time to see a play or two, I strongly recommend The Lion King, especially if you have children. However, it is not just for them because the adults in the audience were just as overjoyed as the kiddies. Go see this play and I guarantee you will come out roaring with joy!

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – One of London's Must See Places to Visit

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – One of London's Must See Places to Visit

A visit to London would not be complete – especially for theatre lovers – without visiting the modern incarnation of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. This loving reconstruction of the original theatre built in 1599 is located on the south bank of the Thames in Southwark, a few hundred meters from where the original stood. It is an amazing edifice from its thatched roof down to its pit where audience members must stand throughout an entire performance.

American actor and director Sam Wanamaker spearheaded the campaign to build this recreation of the Globe, and his desires were such that it would be faithful down to the last nail. Spending much of his own money, his desire to build the theatre as an open-air building evocative of a past era sprang as a dream in 1970 and became a reality when the theatre opened in 1997. Today the indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (opened in 2014) is next door and is a tribute to the late founder of the Globe. 

Wanamaker’s goal was to have modern audiences experience Shakespeare’s plays as an Elizabethan one would have. The open-air concept was practical in Shakespeare’s time – candles were not only expensive but dangerous as well. Like the original, the modern Globe has been built of solid oak throughout, though now it comes with electrical lighting, a sophisticated sprinkler system, and flame-retardant protection for the thatched roof.

On my visit one of the things that thrilled me the most was to see so many school field trips coming to the theatre. On a normal March Friday in London, I witnessed dozens of school groups arriving, merrily coming over Millennium Bridge (no, the Death Eaters from Harry Potter did not really damage it though it is under renovation now) and excitedly touring the place.

I stepped through the doors into the heart of the theatre – the pit where the original Groundlings stood on an earthen floor and modern ones now stand on concrete. I stared up at the sky as a few drops of rain fell on my face, a chilly reminder of what performances could be like during inclement weather. In Shakespeare’s time Groundlings spent a penny to stand in the pit; today it’s five pounds for the privilege – and umbrellas are never allowed.

The stage juts out into the circular pit area, allowing for Groundlings standing there to be close to the action. Three levels of seating – known as galleries – are covered and basically allow for intimate viewing from every angle. The stage is covered by a roof – as are the galleries – and the inner stage roof features images of the heavens and a trap door for lowering or raising characters.

The stage itself is plain and bare, but on my visit it was decorated with candles and crosses for that day’s performance of Romeo and Juliet. The nature of the stage’s construction puts the actors right out into the audience; a balcony above it can be used for characters in scenes like the one with Juliet and Romeo. In the center of the stage, a trap door provides an entrance or exit for the underworld.

Sitting in the galleries allowed me to get a feel for what it must have been like during Shakespeare's time, though now strict codes keep audiences to a maximum of 1,400 – Shakespeare’s audiences could reach up to 3,000 people for a performance.

The seating is just as it was in the past – low wooden benches that are solid oak and not that comfortable. It is easy to imagine how crowded the galleries could have been in the past with people squeezed in next to one another, but today it is more civilized with numbers marking the seats and cushions available for our tender modern tushies.

As I sat there listening to an extremely knowledgeable tour guide, numerous other tours were being conducted simultaneously, but they never interfered with one another. The staff spoke lovingly of the theatre, Shakespeare, and its mission to keep live theatre accessible to the public for years to come.

When I sat in the second-floor gallery looking down at the stage, I realized the brilliance of the construction from a much simpler time. The stage is clearly visible, the acoustics are ideal, and the daylight – even on this overcast day – provided all that was needed for a performance.

After the tour our group was unleashed in the gift shop where various books and items associated with Shakespeare and his works are available. I was moved to purchase a paper model of the Globe which I hope to construct with my son at some point, and a LEGO model of the theatre was for display only. I was tempted to lift a replica of Yorick’s skull from Hamlet and say, “Alas, poor Yorick!” but I didn’t allow my inner thespian to get the best of me.

As I left the theatre, I looked back at the magnificent building that bridges the gap between centuries. With its antiquated construction made of resilient oak and thatched roof, it calls to us collectively to honor theatre’s past and respect it, but its presence also is a reminder that theatre is a living and breathing thing, something timeless and universal that connects all of us.

The fact that Shakespeare’s plays continue to be performed and entertain and delight us proves that theatre is an eternal art form. Despite “Sonnet 18” being about something else entirely, the Bard may have inadvertently noted a salient fact about his collective works – “So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see/ So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

If you still need convincing of Shakespeare's place in literature and history, consider what I saw on the other side of the Thames in the LEGO Store in Leicester Square. There I found a large figure of Shakespeare made out of LEGO blocks. The character is holding a quill pen in one hand and in the other a piece of paper with the words "To be or not to be" on it. If nothing else, it convinced my ten year old that I just might be onto something with "this Shakespeare thing" I am always talking about. 

I highly recommend a visit to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on your next visit to London. You will not be disappointed.

Movie Review: ‘Captain Marvel’ – Simply Marvelous!

Movie Review: ‘Captain Marvel’ – Simply Marvelous!

Having just seen the new Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, Captain Marvel starring a terrific Brie Larson in the titular role, I came away remembering not just the film but the audience's reaction to it. They – my son and I included – laughed out loud at times and yet became dead quiet during some rather tense scenes. Overall, I would say we were all thoroughly engaged throughout the 124-minute runtime (that ended with everyone applauding), and I can’t say that about too many movies that I have seen recently.

Co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (who also co-wrote the screenplay) keep the action going and our hero very busy. They also manage to give us an origin story that has to be pieced together like a puzzle because Marvel/Vers/Carol Danvers is not sure of her past and only remembers it in brief flashes.

When we first meet her, Captain Marvel is known as Vers, and she is living on the planet Kree and working with mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law in a solid performance). The emphasis in her training is to control her formidable powers, but Vers is volatile and prone to using them instead of maintaining composure.

Vers, Yon-Rogg, Korath (Djimon Hounsou), Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan) and the rest of their team are off on a mission to fight the evil shape-shifting Skrulls with whom the Kree are at war. Things don’t go as planned in the ensuing battle, and before we know it Vers is falling to earth and crashing through the roof of a Blockbuster Video store on 1994 Earth. Oddly enough, she brushes herself off like Bond and picks up a copy of The Right Stuff – a truly apropos title for her.

Vers soon meets up with a young Nick Fury sans eye patch (Samuel L. Jackson in a hilariously wonderful performance). He and fellow S.H.I.E.L.D agent Coulson (the always reliable Clark Gregg) engage in some chit chat with Vers before she is running off after a Skrull and they are forced to try to keep up with her in a wild ride that gives the chase scene in Bullitt a run for its money.

The cast also includes Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening, and Lashana Lynch in roles perfectly suited to their formidable talents. Lynch particularly shines as a former fighter pilot who appears in Vers’ fragmented memories and, once they meet, helps her start to put the pieces together.

At this point the rest would be all spoilers due to the various twists and turns in the plot, and I don’t believe in them so I am not going there. One thing I can tell you is the late Stan Lee makes yet another welcome cameo – look for him riding on the train – and Disney also pays tribute to him at the start of the film. My son and I (and many other audience members) clapped and jumped for joy upon seeing him. Lee is certainly deserving and we are too.

The film is stunningly beautiful especially when featuring Vers transforming into Captain Marvel. Cinematographer Ben Davis should be commended for the visual beauty of every frame, and Pinar Toprak’s original score is fittingly vibrant and keeps pace with the continuous action.

What must not go unsaid is that Captain Marvel – like its DC cousin Wonder Woman – is notable for having a female superhero and not taking that for granted. Through the back story we come to understand that Marvel/Vers/Carol Danvers has always been told she couldn’t do something – by her father, by superiors, and Yon-Rogg – but she refuses to capitulate and gets up, brushes herself off, and then kicks ass.

I have heard people saying how important Brie Larson’s portrayal of Captain Marvel is for young girls, but I can tell you that I feel it is equally crucial for young boys like my son. After the film we went out to eat and I asked him what he thought, and he said that the film was one of the best MCU films ever, right up there with his favorite ones like Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War.

Now, that is high praise indeed coming from this little MCU aficionado, so then I asked what he thought of Captain Marvel. He said, “Oh, she’s great, and probably a lot stronger than Thor and Captain America.” There you have it, dear readers; I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Captain Marvel is an exhilarating, entertaining, and humorous entry in the MCU canon, and one that absolutely should be seen in the theater to fully appreciate its awesome beauty. Oh, and stick around after the credits, there is a scene involving Nick Fury’s pager that is a must see and sets the stage perfectly for the much-anticipated Avengers: End Game. Enjoy!!!

'Blogcritics' – An Appreciation

Thinking about my many years here at Blogcritics, I appreciate the profound impact this experience has had on me as a writer and as a person. It gave me a venue for my work and a global audience as well. As an editor, I learned of many new perspectives and read and edited work from writers from all over the world. The word “appreciation” comes to mind but only begins to describe how much this place has meant to me.

I recall a few emails between Eric Olsen (co-founder with Phillip Winn) and me back in 2005. Once I went through the application process, Eric welcomed me aboard. The first article I wrote was about the death of the beloved James Doohan, who played Scotty on the original Star Trek series.

This was a monumental step for me as a writer because before this moment I had written mostly fiction and an occasional poem. Unsure of myself as a nonfiction writer, this opened the door for me and I never looked back. I started writing movie reviews, opinion pieces, television series reviews, and even a piece about my turkey meatloaf recipe. I found my nonfiction voice and discovered it could carry a tune.

All these years – and hundreds of articles – later I am forever grateful for the opportunity Eric gave me to join “a sinister cabal of superior writers.” He also eventually brought me on as an editor, and that allowed me to grow as a writer as well. There is nothing like reading and editing other people’s work to learn so much more about being a writer. It also provided a chance to “meet” so many writers as I worked with them while editing their articles. These virtual connections have been rewarding ones, and I have BC to thank for them.

At first, I functioned as co-sports editor with Charlie Doherty, and along the way I edited some very fine articles about teams, players, and big games. I also had fun writing articles about sports – many about my beloved Mets and Jets – and I especially liked writing stories that explored sports’ controversies like baseball’s steroid debacle and football’s problem with concussions (chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE).

When Eric passed the reins of BC on to Jon Sobel and Barbara Barnett, BC’s heart never skipped a beat. In their capable hands some sections morphed into new ones, but the basic cool vibe remained the same. I then became a Culture and Society editor; therefore, an even wider variety of articles came my way, many about theatre, actors, and the arts. I felt like I had found my niche.

When Jon and Barbara decided to include a BC Flash Fiction section, I became very excited but I was also a bit daunted – the challenge of writing a short story 1000 words or less seemed difficult for me. Word counts have always stressed me out – I can see myself as a kid counting the words of an essay with my pencil. How was I going to be able to compress my fiction into something 1000 words or less?

It took me some time of trial and error, but once I got a handle on shortening my work for this format, I got into it because I had met the challenge. Eventually I had written enough flash fiction stories to put them together in my book Flashes in the Pan. This is another reason why I think of BC with so much gratitude and affection – it has inspired me to change, to adapt, and to explore new pathways as a writer.

There also came a time when I realized that something happened to me – I couldn’t visit a place or see a movie without wanting to write about it for BC. This changed how I went about my vacation or sat watching a film. In the end I think it gave me a greater appreciation for travel and movie-making because I was thinking about what I was doing in a completely different way.

So, after almost 14 years and probably a thousand or more articles written and edited, I am profoundly grateful for BC and the people connected to it. Thank you to Eric and Phillip, Jon and Barbara, Christopher Rose, Josh Lasser, Lisa McKay, Charlie Doherty, Eric Berlin, the late great Gordon Hauptfleish, and the many other writers and editors I have worked with here at BC.

It has been a rewarding and unforgettable experience, and it provided me with incentive to work harder and open myself to new ways of thinking and writing, and that is truly invaluable.

Thanks for everything, BC. It has been a blast!

Klaatu barada nikto!