Stars in der Manege

It's a tradition of the seven years old German production to appear on a TV Show during the Christmas period. Now, it's official. It will aire on TV (I don't know if it will, cause I don't live in Germany) on December 26 (next friday). The photo is located on the official site of the production, http://www.loewenkoenig,de, and it might be chilling and aterrorifying, because (in my opinion), Velile Mchunu's voice is powerful.

Noel de L'Elysee 2008

The French cast of the musical performed three acts (Ils Vivent en Toi/They Live in You, Hakuna Matata and Le Cercle de la Vie/Circle of Life) to some charity associations.

The cast which performed was:

Rafiki = Portia Manyike (photo)

Simba = Enzo Ratsito (top photo)

Mufasa = Jee-L (top photo)

Timon = Mickäel Viguier

Pumbaa = Arnauld Leónard

"Le Roi Lion" is a musical produced by Stage Entertainment and will roar on Paris until March 29, 2009.

Royal Varierty Performance and Memorial Days

The performances that aired on television (London's Royal Variety performance) and a live performance (Tokyo's 10th anniversary celebration) for TLK were amazingly good. The Memorial Days (10th Tokyo anniversary celebration) and The Royal Variety Performance made the audience jump from the chairs with their special versions of Circle of Life. For those who want to see them, they're on YouTube. Here are the performances:


Royal Variety Performance = London Cast

Memorial Days = Tokyo Cast

Memorial Days: 10th anniversary of The Lion King in Tokyo

"Memorial Days": The Lion King cast

Today, December 20 2008, marks a special day for The Lion King's Japanese staff and Shiki Company. This day marks the show's tenth birthday in Japan, eleventh on Broadway.

Brazilians at "Der König der Löwen"!

Velephi Patricia Mnisi as Rafiki

Yes, what you've read! There are a lot of Brazilian people making their was as ensemble/covers/replacements for cast members for Disneys Der König der Löwen. Here's a list of them:

• Mariana Pinto de Souza (Sarabi)
• Claudio Goncalves (Banzai/Ed)
• Alex Brito (Ed)
• Djalma Gama Filho, Vinicius Gomes, Fernando Spengler Rodriguez (Simba)

As an homenage to my people (yes, I'm Brazilian!), the text of this post is written on yellow, blue and green (flag colors).

New photo for The Lion King's 10 years in Tokyo

On the official site for The Lion King's run in Tokyo, a new photo had been released. On its way for its 10th anniversary, on December 20, the picture shows Simba atop the Pride Rock, with two antillopes.

Valérie Damidot joins "Le Roi Lion"

Valérie Damidot between cast members Jéremy La Fontaine (Simba) and Oliver Breitman (Scar)

A new ensemble joined the cast of "Le Roi Lion". Actress Valérie Damidot now plays one of the dancers/singers at "One by One".

• Watch the video!

"Le Roi Lion" prepares for Christmas

The official site for Le Roi Lion received a new Christmas theme, as you can see on the picture. All the links are design with "snow". Also, a new ticket price has been set. Childrens pay half-price.

"The Lion King" to celebrate 10 years in Tokyo! [UPDATED]

Miki Kinbara as Rafiki

The 13:00 performance of December 20 will have a special meening for Shiki Theatrical Company. The show is going to celebrate its 10th anniversary, while the Broadway company celebrated its 11th at Thursday, November 11th 2008. As said before, its unknown if there is going to be a special celebration. In my opinion, when Rafiki pronounce the last part of "Circle of Life" (Ikiteyuku, michishirube, Inochi wa meguru, the circle of life), the cast will bow in a different way.

NOTE: Ikiteyuku, michishirube, Inochi wa meguru, the circle of life is Japanese for "And we live on, its guiding us, the travels of life, the circle of life".

Original Hamburg Cast and Notes

Many people were wondering who was at the 2002 cast. A complete list comes with the CD, including now-cast members Velile Mchunu (Rafiki) and Willi Welp (Scar). Both were ensemble. Member Enrique Segura is the current Ed in the Broadway production.

• Velephi Patricia Mnisi as Rafiki
• Michael Edward-Stevens as Mufasa
• Araba Walton as Sarabi
• Joachim Benoit as Zazu (Current cast member, same role)
• Marc Hetterle as Scar
• Otis Jacinto as Young Simba
• Malia Zoungrana as Young Nala
• Anastasia Bain as Shenzi
• Jerrel Houtsnee as Banzai (later Scheveningen's same role)
• Enrique Segura as Ed (later Broadway's same role)
• Oliver Grice as Timon
• Lakke Magnusson as Pumbaa
• Gino Emnes as Simba
• Senhit Zadik-Zadik as Nala

Second part of auditions of "El Rey Leon"

Are needed: Professional singers with good voices for the POP, and dancers, style: modern ballet. By the particularitity of this spectacle, we are animated to candidates of all type of cultures and ethnic groups.

• Scar: Actor (between 30 and 40 years). Baritone. Astute, seductive, graceful and, nevertheless, dangerous, manipulating, hard intelligent.
• Mufasa: Singing actor (between 30 and 40 years). Baritone. Stoic, Real, strong, warm, kind, masterful, comprehensive, compassionate trim.
• Zazu: Acting/Singing comedian (between 30 and 40 years). Tenor. Meticulous, sensitive, proud, a little eccentric, capricious.
• Simba: Protagonist/Singing actor (between 17 and 27 years). Tenor. Anxious, rebellious, modern, attractive, sexy, a “almost man” of Real bearing.
• Nala: Protagonist/Singing actress (between 17 and 27 years). Mezzo/Acute in belt. Safe, ingrained, attractive, hard, very mature for its age.
• Rafiki: Singing actress/(between 30 and 40 years). Mezzo/Soprano. Eccentric, humorous, very spiritual, unpredictable, eccentric, one schamain.
• Timon: Singing actor (between 20 and 40 years). Baritone/Tenor. Physical type Napoleón, a strong but small type, over-compensated, wants to be the leader.
• Pumbaa: Singing actor (between 30 and 40 years). Baritone/Tenor. Of rough voice, with a great compassionate, humorous, affectionate, simple heart.
• Shenzi: Singing actress (between 20 and 30 years). Contralto. Nonconventional Rockera comedian, to the Whoopi Goldberg or Rosie Perez, bossy, lasts but funny.
• Banzai: Singing actor (between 20 and 30 years). Baritone/Tenor. Hard, Rocker, comedian, rough, dangerous although funny.
• Ed: Singing actor (between 20 and 30 years). Baritone/Tenor. Eccentric, comedian, very active and physically creative, do not speak, only communicate through laughter and sounds, memo, head-hollow.
• Young Simba: Young singing actor/dancer (between 8 and 11 years) (135-148 cm). Hard, energetic, young actor with natural dowries to dance/to act, of the street.
• Young Nala: Young dancing/singing actress (between 8 and 11 years) (135-148 cm). She lasts, energetic, young actress with natural dowries.

Le Grand Quiz du Cerveau

Here are some photographs of October 6, 2008. Part of the cast of "Le Roi Lion" went on one of the plates of TF1 for the turning of the premium time of the emission of the "Large Quiz of the Brain" (Le Grand Quiz de Cerveau), presented by Benjamin Castaldi and Carole Rousseau. At 13:00, departure of the theatre, then repetitions in the afternoon, and finally, at 20:00, recording of "Il Vie en Toi". It had gone to television on November 1st 2008.

More info:

• Le Grand Quiz de Cerveau

Bad News

Videos which have been removed due copyright. The image says that the two videos match to third party content. (Image from juan261094's account)

After Wicked, it seems that Disney is -finally- making its way to YouTube videos of the Broadway Cast CD. Some users have seen that their Broadway videos are being removed by Copyright infringement. Talking about this, they're my 3rd and 4th videos which will be removed. I just hope that my other language videos (like Rafiki Rouwt, Dutch version of Rafiki Mourns) stay there intact.

Japanese CD Playlist

As a lot of people don't know where to find the songs for the Japanese Cast Recording, this is the playlist. Credits go to Imeem user Lisa Mosley, who uploaded the songs.

"Le Roi Lion" celebrate 1 year on Paris!

Staff members, cast, and gold medal

Since September 22, 2007 on Paris, "Le Roi Lion" celebrated its first anniversary last week. It was only a 1 year production. From June 17 to July 29, the Broadway version had a run in the Fox Theater, Saint Louis, Missouri.

Cast Albums

I thought you wanted it, so, I did this video to show you the released Cast Recording albums for all productions of The Lion King.

In order of appearing, the CDs are the following:

• The Lion King [Het Album van het Nederlandse Cast] - Scheveningen Cast
• Der König der Löwen: Das Broadway musical aus Hamburg Hafen - Hamburg Cast
• The Lion King [Original Broadway Cast Recording] - needless to say
• Lion King [Japan] - Tokyo Cast (Fukuoka's one is very different from the others and it's not a Cast Recording, actually)
• Le Roi Lion [La Bande Originale en Français] - Paris Cast

Oh! And I almost forgot! This song's name is "Alles Ademt en Leeft" (Everything Breathes and Lives). And here is the lyric:

Alles ademt en leeft (Everything breath and live),
in die trage stroom (In that slow flow), die ons voort doet gaan (Which conducts our), in hoop en vrees (Hope and apreehension).
Altijd onderweg (Always underway),
altijd in beweging (Always in movement),
In de cirkel (In the circle),
Die ademt en leeft (Which breathes and lives).

"The Lion King" to celebrate 11 years on Broadway!

Playing on Broadway since 1997, Disney's The Lion King will celebrate 11 years on Broadway in November 2008. It is unknown what Disney will do to celebrate it, maybe a new production. Who knows? Last year, we've got the South Africa production. In the photo, the original Broadway cast performing Circle of Life (Reprise).

"The Lion King" to celebrate 10 years in Fukuoka!

With two productions in Japan (one in Fukuoka, other in Tokyo), the show is going to celebrate 10 years, this time in Tokyo! As seen last year there's a possibility of a very special performance of the cast. The Shiki Company, holder of the two Japan productions must be proud of it!

In the photo, cast members Miki Kinbara (Rafiki) and -actress name unknown- (Nala) performing Shadowland.

Visit the official Japanese production site!

"Le Roi Lion" backstage videos

The following links are linked to the backstage videos of "Le Roi Lion" (the French production).

• Stage arrangements before, during and after performance
• Choreography
• "Portes Ouvertes" (Open Doors)

IMPORTANT NOTE: All the videos and the following photo were taken of the official blog for Le Roi Lion (http://www.leroilion.fr/blog/).

Théâtre Mogador

Las Vegas

Announced last week, the musical will have a permanent production in the Mandalay Bay casino in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. It will open in May 02, with previews beginning in mid-April.

"We're incredibly pleased to bring The Lion King to the audiences of Las Vegas," said producer and president of Disney Theatrical Group Thomas Schumacher. "Mandalay Bay has seen great success with other shows thanks to its extraordinary commitment to producing theatre of the highest caliber. When we decided to bring The Lion King to Las Vegas, we knew that this was the right show at the right venue at the right time."

For more details about Disney's The Lion King, check http://www.disneyonbroadway.com/.

Tshidii Manye performing Grasslands Chant (Broadway)

Madrid

Yes, the musical will have a new production in the city of Madrid, Spain. It will begin in autum 2009. The auditions will take place between November 24 and November 28, 2008.

Visit the official El Rey León website!