A Night at the "thea-tah"

Last night I went to see The Lion King at the local Auditorium "Thea-tah". (I have to write it how the snobs say it)
I haven't been to see a live musical in a couple years but I was definitely looking forward to it because nothing beats a live experience not to mention the magic of Disney and my love of the original animated movie.
I will get to my review of it in a bit but first I have to talk about the whole experience of going to see a musical locally.
Rochester isn't known for much. Okay, we had George Eastman which was something to be proud of until Eastman Kodak laid off half of the town. (granted, it wasn't HIS fault) We had the riots, which I heard SO much about when people found out I was moving here and we have serial killers. What some people don't know about Rochester is it's VERY artsy. People really enjoy and love to experience the arts in it's many forms here so musicals tend to create a big buzz. Especially one as loved and renowned as The Lion King.
If you drove by the building where these events are held, you wouldn't give it a second glance. Infact, the armory across the street would probably get your attention instead. (most people are fascinated by anything that looks like a castle; I know I am!) Once inside however the building takes on the aura and charm of a classic thea-tah house. The carpeting, the wooden railings and the whole pre-show excitement. Not to mention it's a prime people-watching place. Make that people staring. There was alot of staring going on. It's a place to see and be seen I guess.
One thing I notice that people at the thea-tar love to do is tell total strangers how they've seen that nights production in other cities. You don't even have to ask; the person sitting next to you will offer up this information and never even introduce themselves. Then they will give you a list of all the musicals or plays that they've seen in the last two years. Granted, I wish most total strangers were this friendly but it seems that it's more of a speech of domination. They've got season seats, they've seen every production at the venue the last five years so what gives you the right to sit next to them? You better have some ammunition or they may never speak to you again.
Now on to my review.
Unfortunately I can't give as glowing a write-up as I had hoped. It could be for many reasons but here are mine.
Most of the cast were not strong singers or actors; they didn't command the stage or demand your attention. I sat there many times hoping for a puppeteer to come on stage again and break up the bore. Mufasa seemed to be trying to do a cheap James Earl Jones impression, it wasn't even that sad when he died. Scar was good but not exactly scary, he was more weird than intimidating...and shouldn't a villainous lion be at least a LITTLE scary? Simba young and old were average; not great actors and so-so singers. I couldn't help but wonder what Wayne Brady could do as older Simba. The hyennas comic timing was lousy and most of the time, they just weren't funny. How come they cracked me up in the movie and I didn't even giggle at them last night? It's all in the delivery folks.
The worst parts of the show had to be some of the dance routines. And that's saying alot considering they were choreographed by the renowned Garth Fagan. A man who has local ties which SHOULD bring an additional air of excitement. I found alot of it boring, out-of-synch and, most of the time, badly placed. What was the point of dancers suspended in mid-air, half naked and clinging to each other during "Can you feel the love tonight"? The song itself is enough, the production slowed it to a halt and de-tensified the love-connection.
But there were highlights. The opening scene is AMAZING. I had goosebumps. I get them again just thinking about it. So was the opening scene in Act 2. The puppets and puppeteers were first rate; exactly what you'd expect from a Disney production. Timon and Pumbaa were fantastic and funny. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are not easy shoes to fill but these guys last night made a hilarious stamp of their own although them doing a charleston instead of a hula to distract the hyennas didn't quite get the laugh they had hoped but Timon's headware was great! The music was outstanding, perfectly loud yet soft and emotion-filled when it had to be.
The biggest star in the production was without a doubt Rafiki played by an amazing South African woman named Phindile Mkhize. I would've been just as happy last night listening to her sing any song w/the puppeteers dancing wildly about her and from what I heard from others as I walked out of the thea-tah, I wasn't alone. She received the loudest cheer of any during the bows, and deservedly so. One reviewer put it best when speaking of her voice "As the wise baboon Rafiki, Phindile Mkhize (new to this cast) sets the vocal tone in the opening number, "Nants Ingonyama,'' when she calls the animals to the introduction of Simba. Her voice pours through the theater, sending a chill down the spine and vibrating through every molecule of air"
If she was a lion, she would be King!