School kids in Gauteng to re-enact The Lion King as production marks milestone year 

In a significant year for The Lion King, school children in Gauteng will get the chance to re-enact the well-travelled production through collaboration between the National Children’s Theatre (NCT) and Disney Theatrical Group (DTG).

“It’s so unique that we are doing this production this year for the first time. We are celebrating our freedom, celebrating the release of the movie 30 years ago, the parallels are amazing,” original cast member of The Lion King stage production Ron Kunene told The Citizen.

Kunene is a renowned thespian who now sits as a trustee and board member of the NTC.

He has performed at the Oscar awards twice; in 1988 he did a rendition of the Academy Award-nominated Cry Freedom and again in 1995 when The Lion King won the Oscar for Best Original Music Score.

Making a difference

NCT will stage The Lion King Jr, Disney’s Junior production with a cast of 50 young people aged 13 and under from five various schools in Gauteng.

“It fully aligns with NCT’s mission to use theatre arts and ‘edutainment’ programmes to help develop South Africa’s next generation of leaders,” said NCT Board Chair, Moira Katz.

This will be the first time the Junior production, which is specially created for use in schools, is performed in South Africa.

“I’ve yearned for this for a number of years. It’s only in Gauteng for now, but we hope we’ll be able to take it to not only other parts of South Africa but the whole African continent,” said Kunene.

The performance will be the culmination of NCT’s education initiative Musical Theatre in Schools that’s inspired by Disney Musicals in Schools.

Disney Musicals in Schools has built sustainable theatre programmes in schools throughout the US and UK for over a decade, this program will see facilitators from NCT and DTG work closely with five primary schools in Gauteng for three months.

“South Africans have talent. Sometimes you see a kid [during auditions] is good and just doesn’t know the process because they didn’t get the education. I hope this program helps because Disney is really investing in this project,” said Kunene.

The program will deliver life skills,a creative curriculum and offer training and inspiration to teachers to ensure that the skills and ideas generated by the programme can be transferred to the school teams and the benefits felt for years to come.

“This is a wonderful and unique opportunity to partner with National Children’s Theatre to grow the reach and engagement of the arts amongst young people through this beloved story,” said Nancy Shakerley, Disney Theatrical Group’s education and audience engagement manager

ALSO READ: Khaya Mthethwa announced choral music director for ‘The Lion King’

A significant year

First released in cinemas in 1994, Disney’s hit animated blockbuster The Lion King captivated the imagination of audiences around the world for 30 years, inspiring multiple films – including Mufasa which is set for release this December – and the hit musical on which Disney’s The Lion King Jr is based.

“It is very significant that we’re doing this, this year, I remember when the movie came out in 1994, we did these outreach programs across the US teaching Americans about South Africa,” averred Kunene.

Kunene also served as a dialect coach for Broadway and other Lion King productions worldwide, helping Lebo M and the Disney Creative Team with music on The Lion King.

Director Julie Taymor’s award-winning stage adaptation which is celebrating 25 years in London’s West End has been seen in more than 100 cities with more than 112 million people experiencing the musical.

Kunene reflects on a conversation he had with Lebo M about the music the latter composed for the film.

“He said ‘I just imagined Nelson Mandela walking out of prison.’ Every time I listen to it, it has that historical significance.”

Both the stage adaptation and The Lion King Jr. feature classic songs from the 1994 film such as Hakuna Matata and the Academy Award-winning Can You Feel the Love Tonight as well as additional songs penned for the musical production.

NOW READ: Lebo M, king of musical theatre