Practically
everyone knows the story of The Lion King. They have seen it either live on Broadway
or the West End or on either one or both of Disney’s film versions of this spectacular production which was rumored
to have been inspired by the Kenyan countryside as well our fauna and flora.
They know
that it’s a story about
succession, toxic jealousy, envy, and treachery leading to the murder of
one brother by another. It’s also about the beauty of Africa and the humanizing
of its wildlife .
So when the
Banda school decided to stage this award-winning musical, adapted and directed
by another award-winning actor-singer Emma whithill, (who will be leaving the
school for greener pastures soon), many theatre lovers of her work with KADS,
(The kenya amateur dramatic society) came to see her last musical before she
left the country. They gave her and her cast and crew multiple standing
ovations for their marvelous performance.
Now became
the issue of how each element of the show fit together at every level of its
performance and how that fit made one feel the musical was perfect, much like a
picture puzzle whose parts fit together into a practically perfect whole.
Those
elements include everything from the adaptation and editing of the script to
the costuming including the headdresses and masks and make-up, to the music, chorus, solo
vocalist, sound, and lighting, to the choreography, set design, and acting
including the directing of the whole musical by the brilliant performing artist
emma whithill who was previously staging (or simply singing, acting, and
dancing as she did in the wicked, Shrek, rock of ages and many other shows in
which she performed with in KADS (Kenya amateur Dramatic society). The lion
king was her last show that she was staging just before her departure from the
banda and kenya for greener pastures. So this Musical was one of mixed emotions
among her students and herself as she is much loved by them and the whole school.
she’s a dynamo who has inspired and
super-charged up like an Energizer battery that can light up a whole room with its
light and glorious glow.
But as an
editor and adapter of the of the script, she can be criticized by anyone who had
seen the complete production live and felt too much of lion king had been
removed for their taste. Certainly, they are entitled to their opinion. But a vast
number of others are far more positive and appreciative of the entire musical.
Another
element that hit us once we walked into banda’s social hall was the costuming,
especially the headdresses, crown, and hand-painted masks which were striking
to see. The most stunning,to our taste, was the gorgeous gown worn by the
prophetess who came on stage whenever someone needed her wisdom and foresight. And
as for headdresses, the most beautiful were worn by the first lion king, then by
the young prince Simba and Spark, the cynical villain whose jealousy and envy
of his older brother created the central conflict in the show. But even the wildlife, especially the
giraffe, warthog, birds, and young lion cubs were easily identified, having
been conceived and produced by creative crafts women and maybe some men. But that
was unlikely since the show was staged mainly by women (apart from the sound,
which could have been better) not boys. As a result, there was a strong
androgenous spirt that ran throughout the musical. It was reinforced by the
fact that very few young guys chose to be part of the production. As a result,
girls took up roles that normally would have been grabbed by guys. And the music was performed by a single
pianist who was backed up by a large chorus of again mainly girls who also
danced to both African and contemporary sounds.
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