By Kimberly Rau
The national tour of Disney’s award-winning musical “The Lion King” is at the Providence Performing Arts Center through the beginning of June, which is good, because that means there are lots of opportunities to get tickets. If you’ve never seen it, you must. If you have, go again. It’s (as always) just that good.
Do we need to do the plot? Hamlet, but make it big cats. Uncle Scar is jealous of his brother Mufasa, and it only gets worse when Simba, heir to rule Pride Rock, is born. But hey, that’s what murder is for, and if that doesn’t work, there’s always exile. As Simba grows up away from his homeland, and home as he knew it falls apart under Scar’s inept totalitarianism, the show becomes less about ruling a kingdom and more about getting in touch with the things that tell us our place in the universe.
The opening is bigger than you can imagine: As Rafiki, our mandril/shaman/narrator begins the call that starts “The Circle of Life,” life-sized elephants, rhinos and other animals make their way down the aisles. Birds fly overhead, and a chorus of strong voices envelopes the room. If you don’t have goosebumps, check your pulse.
It doesn’t get any less grand over the next two and a half hours. The show makes good use of theater tricks to convey big (really big) concepts, including a stampede that’s nothing short of genius. The night sky lights up with stars. The elephant graveyard is larger than life. And throughout it all, there’s one gorgeous song after another, some from the animated film and some even better ones composed for the musical. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is just as pretty as you remember. “He Lives In You” is less a performance and more an awakening. It’s easy to see why “Lion King” won all the Tony awards it has: It deserved every single one. The puppetry costumes alone are something you’ll talk about for ages. There’s nothing else like this.
This tour is full of talent, from the dance ensemble’s exquisite grace to the powerful voices across all roles. Standouts include Zama Magudulela (Rafiki), and Gilbert Domally (Simba), who are both blessed with stunning voices and stage presence. Magudulela’s in particular elevates the show to another level. Her voice opens the show, and narrates some of the most important moments in the plot, and she couldn’t be better. David D’Lancy Wilson is a commanding Mufasa, and stands in stark contrast to Peter Hargrave’s skulking, malcontented Scar.
If Wilson and Hargrave are perfect rivals, then Danny Grumich (Pumbaa) and Nick Cordileone (Timon) are the perfect friends, playing off each other’s energy to add the perfect amount levity to Simba’s journey. Because as Simba tries to learn to live with his past, he must also learn to forgive himself. And that’s no small feat.
From curtain to close, this is a beautiful show with an incredible cast, one that deserves a sold-out house for every performance. Get your tickets while you can.
“The Lion King” runs through June 7, 2026, at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Tickets may be obtained at the box office, online at ppacri.org or by calling 401.421.2787
