Transcript THE LION KING

THE LION KING
Play of the Week: 9/29-10/3
JOURNAL: 9/29-9/30
In THE LION KING, Rafiki
represents the storyteller, telling
the oral history of her community.
Who is the storyteller in your
family? What is the purpose of a
storyteller? Do you have any
cultural oral stories passed down
from your family?
RAFIKI in THE LION KING
African Storytellers
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“Traditionally, Africans have revered good stories and storytellers,
as have most past and present peoples around the world who are
rooted in oral cultures and traditions. Ancient writing traditions do
exist on the African continent, but most Africans today, as in the past,
are primarily oral peoples, and their art forms are oral rather than
literary. In contrast to written "literature," African "orature" (to use
Kenyan novelist and critic Ngugi wa Thiong’o's phrase) is orally
composed and transmitted, and often created to be verbally and
communally performed as an integral part of dance and music. The
Oral Arts of Africa are rich and varied, developing with the
beginnings of African cultures, and they remain living traditions that
continue to evolve and flourish today.”
“Language is a primary means of learning and transmitting one’s
culture, and it is used to help define and distinguish different ethnic
groups and cultures. Consider the fact that more than 450
languages are spoken in modern Nigeria.”
Important Facts
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The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the
same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the
musical score created by Hans Zimmer Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical
features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets.
The musical debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the
Orpheum Theatre, and was an instant success before premiering on
Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in
previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13,
2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make
way for the musical version of Mary Poppins, where it is still running after
more than 6,700 performances.[1] It is Broadway's fourth longest-running
show in history and the highest grossing Broadway production of all time,
having grossed more than $1 billion.[2]
In September 2014, The Lion King became the top-earning title in boxoffice history for both stage productions and films, surpassing the record
previously held by Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, of
which was the first to gross over $6 billion.[4]
JOURNAL: 10/2
Disney films have well been known for their fully
realized animal characters. Using animation,
filmmakers have been able to draw beautiful
animals and give them human voices, emotions,
and expressions. The creators of THE LION KING
musical had a challenge: how to bring the story’s
animal characters to life on stage. What are some
differences/similarities about animal and human
movements?
Pg 20
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH1lPEx3ggo
JOURNAL: 10/3
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Think of a certain scene in THE LION KING that really stands out
to you. Who’s in it? Why do you like it? Why is it important?
Hyennas: graveyard scene
 Simba and Nala reunite
Simba and Nala get married have a cub
 Circle of Life
 Simba talks to Mufasa in cloud
 Scar kills Mufasa: stampede
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