"The Lion King" prowled onto Broadway in 1997. And, with a roar as mighty as Mufasa's, the musical won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. But beyond that, "Lion King" captured theatergoers with innovative costumes and puppets, and it established Disney as a formidable theatrical force.
The pride is on the move and set to take the stage at Capitol Theatre.
"One thing that has been really pleasing about this is the show has not been stripped down at all," said Roger Allers, who co-wrote the book for the stage version. "It's absolutely what you'll experience on Broadway."
Along with co-writing the book (with Irene Mecchi), Allers also directed the animated movie, and contributed dialogue to "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "The Little Mermaid."
" 'The Lion King' is the happy perfect storm of visual creativity, a solid story and has a spiritual resonance for people," he said in a phone interview. "Where people feel the triumph of good over evil and the sense that we're all connected. I'm so happy it's coming to Salt Lake. It's time."
"Oh, Salt Lake, I have such fond memories. I had such a great experience there," said Michael Curry, the mask and puppet co-designer of "The Lion King" and the brains behind the larger-than-life animals used in the Olympic opening ceremonies here in Salt Lake City. "I still own the big bear; I loved it."
Curry has the bear on display in his airplane-hangar studio in Portland, Ore. "I really learned a great deal from the 'Lion King,' " he said. "And I was asked to do the Native American section (for the Olympics) and to give special attention to the five tribes. The tribe leaders all chose animals, their spirit guides. So I made evocative animals that conveyed a sense of mythic stature."
"I got a thumbs-up from the leaders. It's so important doing cultural work like that. It was such a gratifying experience," he said.
"I'm a firm believer that you have to believe in the show you're doing. I've done puppets for 28 years. But I've never been involved in a story, music, dance, scenery, costumes and puppets that come together so holistically as 'The Lion King.' This was new level for me."
Thirteen years after the show's opening on Broadway, Curry finds he enjoys the show more than ever.
"Now that I've forgotten the nuts and bolts and developmental pain, I enjoy it more."
Curry's designs are made of carbon fiber, "the same thing as tennis rackets, sports cars. It's a byproduct that is very high-tech," Curry said.
Even though the show has a very natural, even rustic look, "it's all aluminum, steel and plastic. There is no wood in the entire show."
Not surprisingly, the elephant is the heaviest puppet. "It takes four people to operate that one."
"Oddly enough, the actor with the biggest challenge is Scar," Curry said. With a costume weighing in a 40 pounds, "he has two big motors hidden on his thighs and a rack of eight, 12-volt batteries," Curry said. "He has cables that run down his arms, and hidden on his ring fingers he has two sliding controllers that he controls with his thumbs. He also has a cable up the back of his neck to help control his mask."
"Mufasa has one motor and one movement," Curry explained. "But evil takes more. He (Scar) has a nasty look and a more-nasty look. It takes a really powerful man" to play the part.
"I love the show, but I do wish I could see it for the first time," Curry said. "The tour was just here in Portland. And to look around and see the faces in that opening number is wonderful. I don't even look at the stage anymore because people are crying and they have their jaws on the floor."
The musical, featuring music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, is now the eighth longest-running musical on Broadway. It has been seen by more than 50 million people in 13 different countries and translated into five languages.
"It's kind of mind-boggling, really," writer Allers said. "It's longevity, how big it's become; it's wonderful. It's anybody's dream to hope to do something that would reach a huge audience."
If you go…
What: Disney's "The Lion King," national tour
When: Aug. 10-Sept. 26, dates and times vary
Where: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South
How much: $37.50-$135
Phone: 801-355-2787
Web: www.arttix.org
e-mail: ehansen@desnews.com