I was very excited to hear about The Lion King coming to Calgary. I remember when the original cartoon movie came out, and it was instantly my all-time favourite. I’m pretty sure I can still recite the entire thing line-for-line. Somewhere in my parent’s basement is the old VHS (you know, the one that says “SFX” with a suspicious line and definitely not the other thing) as well as a couple re-releases that happened over the years. The songs, the characters, the storyline – everything about this movie is dripping in nostalgic childhood feelings for me.

And now the musical is playing in Calgary. Of course I had to go.

I’ve seen this musical before, and I loved everything about it too. It captures the essence of the children’s movie but it includes new songs and a few jokes that even adults will love. The costumes are spectacular, as are the puppets, and of course the actors bring amazing talent to bring it all together. It’s incredible to see the combination of costumes and puppets on stage – and it takes no time at all to forget you’re in a theatre when you see the giraffes walk across the stage in the opening sequence.

I had a chance to interview Danny Grumich, the actor who plays Pumbaa, weeks before the show. While we chatted about bringing the character to life, it was incredible to watch him in action. I should specify – it was incredible to watch Pumbaa in action, because it is so easy to get caught up in the show that you forget the actors behind the roles.

Everything about this show is breathtaking. There are characters who walk right through the audience. Sitting in an aisle seat, it was a surprise to see a giant elephant walking down the stairs! Very cool though.

Everything about this performance has we wanting to go back and experience it again. It’s only in Calgary for a short time, so make sure to get your tickets before they’re gone!

Make sure to check out Broadway Across Canada to see what else is playing in Calgary this season.

Kate Barker