The Lion King
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Sure, audiences leave Disney’s “The Lion King” at Mandalay Bay humming “Hakuna Matata” and “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.” But they’re just as likely to be moving their bodies in imitation of the blockbuster musical’s inventive choreography.
From Scar’s slither to Mufasa’s lunges, the animals who inhabit Pride Rock all make use of idiosyncratic movements and dance steps that are essential in establishing their personalities, said Marija Abney, who portrays Cheetah in the hit show at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
“This is a story that could not be told without movement, without dance,” Abney said.
If it works — and it does — you can thank choreographer Garth Fagan, whose path-breaking work on “Lion King” earned him Tony and Drama Desk awards, among many other honors and accolades.
“We broke so many rules doing this,” Fagan told the Las Vegas Travel Guide. “Nobody has seen a musical like this before. We’re telling stories with dance and using a variety of different styles — modern, ballet, African-Caribbean, hip hop and contemporary.”
This is the final year for “The Lion King,” which opened at Mandalay Bay in 2009 and shortly thereafter won a “Best Show” award from the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Catch the mesmerizing musical before it makes its final curtain call on December 30, 2011.
Monday through Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 8 p.m.
Dark Fridays
—Anne Burke, Custom Publishing Writer
DISNEY’S “THE LION KING”
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
877.632.7400
From $64 to $113.50; VIP $168.50
www.lionkinglasvegas.com
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