17.50 pounds for front seat in stalls! I can't believe it!
I finally watched the musical of Lion King! I have wanted to watch this for so long, but the exorbitant ticket price is a huge barrier. Now, with nearly a 50% discount off the original price GBP32.50, we got our 17.50-pounds-last-minute-price (we went early in morning to get the last-minute-leftover seats). Yippee!!!
We bought the tickets at 10am, but the show will only start at 2pm. While waiting for the show, we decided to loiter around Covent Garden... and that accidentally started my shopping spree. (what have i done?!)
We went to a few shops which sell sportswear and travel accessories, and some bookstores. I am very sure I am NOT a shopping-type person (dignified voice), but I think I just went into a shopping-mode today. Results:
* Compact Tripod 340mm-1100mm for 10.95 pounds
* Polycarbonate bottle for 3.75 pounds
* Fleece Jacket for 29.75 pounds.
* Sandwich cool bag for 1 pound.
* 2nd hand book for 2.49 pounds
Holy cow! In less than 2 hours I spent more than what I normally spend on non-necessities in A MONTH! hmm.. perhaps if I treat the bottle, cool bag & jacket as necessities, it wouldn't look too bad... and if treating the tripod as a long-term investment, calculate its lifelength, depreciation and scrap value... sigh, i m just trying to justify my over-expenditure.
oops, enough digression.
Back to Lion King. The theatre itself is a wonder. Lyceum Theatre is opened in 1834, and has a three-tiers seating plan instead of the normal two-tiers one. As we were sitting in our seats, I couldn't help admiring the detailed architecture designs in every pillar, wall and ceiling. The interior of the theatre is as grand as its exterior!
Just beneath (I hope the proposition is correct) us is the orchestra stall. Before the show started, the musicians are already there tuning and readying. (reminds me of moody somehow) Kids sitting nearby were excited that they kept the conductor busy with their endless questions. They even asked for a demonstration, which the violinist graciously obliged. Even the cute old lady sitting beside me is as excited as the kids, she's read the book three times, and she believed this will be the best musical she would love. She kept me busy too, hehe, with her keeping losing her gloves and scarf. sweet. :-)
The beginning of the show is just spectacular! As the animals emerged from the BACK of the theatre, marched down the aisles and up onto the stage, the crowd went wild. Sitting in the front row sure has its perks, we observed not only the details of the ornaments, costumes and gadgets, but also the face expressions of the actors. And when they caught our eyes, some of them even winked. I have to say I felt so excited, it's like I am a child again.
The costume and the props are the best among all the musicals I have seen. Imagine designing all sorts of animal costumes, gadgets and scenes in jungles. The lush green jungle, the dry shadowland, the elephant grave, the stampede scene, the night, the dawn... Every scene was done with such painstaking detail. The stage itself is a fun thing to observe, many unexpected creatures would just pop up from the concealed trapdoor on the floor, and the stagefloor can be elevated for certain scenes.
I have to give credits to these 2 creatures specifically. The giraffes and the leopard. The giraffes are so good in controlling their balance, singing and dancing all at the same time. and the leopard-lady did a fabulous job in making her leopard look so real! the movements are just so smooth and real. These two non-leading creatures are my favourites in the show.
As I observed the music, dancing and special effects, I couldn't help noticing the blend of various cultures into the musical. While the African culture is the dominant one, there are a lot of elements of other cultures. Asian culture is appearing very often - bamboo poles for the birds props like the chinese do with their kites, japanese-like set up during the struggle of Sinba to find his destiny, and even our "wayang kulit" in some scenes! The music too potrayed various genres from traditional african music to electrifying rock and roll...
Another enjoyable experience is to observe the various expressions of the actors, CLOSE UP. We can see every single line on their faces, and noticed how deeply they put themselves in the story. Looking down, the orchestra team was doing their best too. Every thud and squeak was precise, and the music moves people to tears.
The props, the music, the dancing, the storyline... everything was just great! Given a chance, I would definitely watch this again. I will bring my dad next time when he comes for my graduation. :-)
Ok, just before I end this, here is a character I like. She's funny, she's expressive, she's bouncing up and down on the stage!
Guess who she is?
.... The Baboon! If not because of her walking stick, I wouldn't have recognized her, haha..
(NOTE: All pictures are taken from websites. We are not allowed to take photographs in the musical.)
