On the evening of Oct. 3, 2024, I finally checked out the musical version of “The Lion King” at The Fox Theatre. Initially, I didn’t expect there to be much of a difference story-wise, since, by this point in my 17 years of life, I have seen “The Lion King” (1994) more times than I can count. I thought, “I’ve seen this a million times, there can’t be much besides the live props and staging that moves me.” But the themes of the story hit me harder than ever before. I don’t know if it was because of the live singing, or seeing the actor’s raw emotions of anger, love, happiness, and guilt up close in person, but it all just hit differently!
Mufasa holds the throne to the Pride Lands alongside his Queen Sarabi, welcoming their heir Simba into the world. Simba’s birth infuriates Scar as he wishes to take the throne after Mufasa dies but now cannot because of Mufasa’s son. Scar is envious of Mufasa’s kinghood, and because Mufasa lives an overall better life than him, he begins to plot against him. After Mufasa refuses Simba’s plea to go to the Elephant Graveyard, Simba goes to his uncle to confide in him. Seeing the chance to put both Simba and Mufasa in harm’s way, Scar manipulates him to go there. The scene in which Mufasa confronts Scar for missing Simba’s ceremony shows how one’s greed and selfishness can destroy the ability to show love to one’s kin. Scar’s overwhelming desire for power and control clouds his ability to see that his brother still wants to connect with him. Scar’s resentful tone when he talks to Mufasa, and his begrudging aura whenever he is around Mufasa, initially seem like an effort to push his brother away. However, while watching the play I noticed that Mufasa never tried to connect with his brother positively either. The only times we see Mufasa talk to his brother are the times when he has to keep him in place and threaten him. I never realized how lackadaisical Mufasa’s attitude toward upkeeping his relationship with Scar was until now, and it opened my mind.
Scar and Mufasa are archetypes of the dynamic between an older sibling, whose time is filled with responsibilities, and a younger sibling, who feels the pressure of being the second born behind their respected older sibling. As an older sibling myself, I can relate to the feeling of disconnect Mufasa may be going through during the story, as it’s easy to become so absorbed in your life that you forget to make adequate time to bond with younger siblings. “The Lion King” does a great job at capturing how this rift in siblinghood causes a lack of understanding and can be a breeding ground for resentment.
Deceit and betrayal mark the foundations of Simba and Scar’s relationship. Ever since Simba was a cub, Scar has been leading him astray, going as far as to make him feel at fault for his father’s death. As Simba goes on his journey through life and self-discovery, coming to terms with the passing of Mufasa and rekindling old friendships, Simba finally decides to go back, face his uncle, and take his rightful place as king.
Simba’s appearance before Scar at Pride Rock is one of my favorite scenes in Lion King because of how Scar reacts. Scar initially thinks that he didn’t kill Mufasa and therefore Mufasa has come back for revenge. But, after Sarabi calls out Simba’s name, Scar realizes his past deeds have finally shown up to bite him. This scene and the final battle are the perfect crescendo for the antipathy between Scar and Simba. Scar still tries to play the situation in his favor, attempting to paint Simba as the murderer of Mufasa, killing the final obstacle in his conquest. Scar admitting to murdering Mufasa, in his snarky manner, unfolds the biggest secret kept from Simba. This fuels Simba to do the heroic but tragic task of killing his uncle. In a last-ditch effort to escape alive, Scar tries to pull out the family card and blame it all on the hyenas.
I chuckled a little bit while watching this scene live, Scar’s audacity blew my mind.
Simba brushes off his pleas and realizes that everything Scar has ever told him has been a lie. But he doesn’t stoop to Scar’s level and tells Scar to run. But, once again, Scar wouldn’t be Scar if he didn’t try to pull a fast one over Simba. He throws him off the cliff.
Waiting for Scar are the same hyenas he’s been manipulating throughout the story. But they heard trying to blame them for everything. So they decide to eat him up, like a medium-rare steak.
From childhood friends to the king and queen of Pride Rock, Nala and Simba always had a close bond and an unwavering sense of trust in each other. But love isn’t always smooth sailing. Arguments and disagreements are bound to happen, yet how you handle them determines the success of the partnership. After Nala tracks down Simba, they have a heart-to-heart conversation. Nala asks Simba why he decided to stay away from Pride Rock, especially when they really needed him. Simba believes that no one there really needs him, but Nala reassures him that they do. Nala informs Simba about Scar’s actions, how he’s let the hyenas take over the pride lands, and the fact that they have no food or water. Simba still decides to stay away but doesn’t want to communicate why with Nala. Simba’s apathetic energy disappoints Nala, and they get into a heated exchange. Simba storms off into the night gathering his thoughts and yelling towards the sky, “You said you’d always be there for me!” He longs for some guidance from his deceased father.
While he is sitting staring at the stars, Zazu meets and leads him to a small body of water where he is able to converse with Mufasa, who now resides in some sort of afterlife. Mufasa encourages Simba to look within and try to remember who he truly is, leading Simba to do some introspection. After some soul-searching, Simba feels more comfortable telling Nala what he’s gone through.
Nala and Simba represent all that comes with love. From communication to active listening, to bickering and needing space to come to terms with your feelings, all are parts of what you will deal with in real life.
The Lion King, although aimed towards children, is still able to masterfully tackle these complex themes in a digestible way. Watching the film growing up was always a treat, but watching the musical now with a more mature, critical, and analytical mindset allowed me to gather things I never did or could before.
More “The Lion King” Coverage:
“The Importance of Costuming in ‘The Lion King'”
“POV: You’re Seeing ‘The Lion King’ with VOX ATL at the Fox Theatre”
