The Golden Throats Wiki
Advertisement

This is about the stage musical. For the original movie, see The Lion King (1994 film). For the remake, see The Lion King (2019 film).

Lionkingmusical

The Lion King.

The Lion King is a musical based on the animated movie of the same name.

Cast[]

Plot[]

As the sun rises, Rafiki the mandrill calls the animals to Pride Rock. She greets King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi before presenting their cub to the gathered animals. Elsewhere, Mufasa's brother, Scar, laments his lost chance at becoming king. Back at her baobab tree, Rafiki paints an image of the cub and asks the spirits to conjure the new prince's name: Simba.

Time passes and Simba grows into a lively young cub. Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands from the top of Pride Rock and explains that everything exists in a delicate balance known as the Circle of Life. Mufasa warns Simba not to stray beyond the boundaries of the Pride Lands, pointing out a shadowy area in the distance. Zazu, a hornbill who acts as Mufasa's advisor, arrives and delivers his daily report on the state of affairs in the King's domain. After being pounced on, the mole appears to tell Zazu that the hyenas have invaded the Pridelands.Then Zazu relays the same information,  and Mufasa leaves immediately to deal with them and Simba is left all alone to his own devices.

Simba goes to see his uncle Scar. The scheming lion piques the cub's curiosity by mentioning the elephant graveyard, where Simba is forbidden to go. Meanwhile, the lionesses go hunting, Simba arrives and asks his best friend, a female cub named Nala, to come with him to the elephant graveyard. He lies to the lionesses about where they are going, and Sarafina (Nala's mother) and Sarabi allow the cubs to go, escorted by Zazu. Simba and Nala formulate a plan and manage to lose Zazu, while Simba brags about his future position.

The cubs go to the graveyard and begin to explore. Zazu catches up, but they are confronted by three hyenas: Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The hyenas intend to eat the trespassers and gloat about their find. Mufasa rescues the cubs and frightens off the hyenas.

Mufasa is disappointed and angry at Simba's reckless disobedience, and explains the difference between bravery and bravado. Mufasa tells Simba about the great kings of the past and how they watch over everything from the stars. Mufasa says that he will always be there for his son. .

Back at the elephant graveyard, Scar tells the hyenas of his plan to kill Mufasa and Simba so that he can become king. He raises an army of hyenas, promising that they will never go hungry again if they support him. Later he discusses Simba's behavior with Zazu, who reminds Mufasa that he had the same tendency to get into trouble at Simba's age. Scar takes Simba to a gorge and tells him to wait there. On Scar's signal, the hyenas start a wildebeest stampede into the gorge. Scar tells Mufasa that Simba is trapped in the gorge. Mufasa leaps into the stampede and manages to save his son, but as he tries to escape, Scar throws him off the cliff back into the stampede killing him. Scar convinces Simba that his father's death was his fault and tells him to run away, but as he leaves, Scar orders the hyenas to kill him. Simba escapes but the hyenas tell Scar that he is dead. Rafiki and the lionesses mourn the deaths. Scar claims the throne and allows the hyenas into the Pride Lands. Rafiki returns to her tree and smears the drawing of Simba, while Sarabi and Nala quietly grieve.

Out in the desert, Simba collapses from heat exhaustion. Vultures begin to circle, but are scared away by Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog. Simba feels responsible for Mufasa's death, but the duo take the cub to their jungle home and show him their carefree way of life and bug diet. Simba grows to adulthood in the jungle.

The chorus, dressed in colorful clothes with ornate bird puppets and kites, begin the Second Act. But as the song ends, however, the beautiful birds are replaced by vultures and gazelle skeletons. Under Scar's rule, the Circle of Life is out of balance and a drought has hit the Pride Lands because he ignored Mufasa's philosophy about the Circle of Life by showing his ambition about only becoming the king and also displaying his carelessness . Zazu, now a prisoner of Scar, listens to the king's woes. The hyenas are complaining about the lack of food, but Scar is only concerned with himself and why he is not loved. He is haunted by visions of Mufasa and rapidly switches between the delusional confidence and paranoid despair. Nala arrives to confront Scar about the famine and Scar decides she will be his queen and give him cubs. Nala fiercely rebukes him and resolves to leave the Pride Lands to find help. Rafiki and the lionesses bless her for her journey.

Back in the jungle, Timon and Pumbaa want to sleep, but the restless Simba is unable to settle. Annoyed by Timon and Pumbaa, Simba leaves them, but Timon and Pumbaa lose their courage and follow him. Simba leaps across a fast-moving river and challenges Timon to do the same. Timon falls in and is swept downstream. He grabs a branch over a waterfall and calls for Simba's help, but Simba is paralysed by a flashback of Mufasa's death. Timon falls from the branch and Simba snaps out of the flashback, rescuing his friend. Simba is ashamed that Timon nearly died because of his recklessness.

The three friends settle to sleep and discuss the stars. Simba recalls Mufasa's words, but his friends laugh at the notion of dead kings watching them. Simba leaves, expressing his loneliness and bitterly recalling Mufasa's promise to be there for him. Rafiki hears the song on the wind, joyfully realises that Simba is alive, and draws a mane onto her painting of Simba.

In the jungle, Pumbaa is hunted and chased by a lioness. Simba confronts her and saves his friend, but recognises the lioness as Nala. She is amazed to find Simba alive, knowing that he is the rightful king. Timon and Pumbaa are confused, but Simba asks them to leave him and Nala alone. Timon realizes what is happening and laments the end of Simba's Hakuna Matata lifestyle. Nala tells Simba about the devastated Pride Lands, but Simba still feels responsible for Mufasa's death and refuses to return.

On his own, Simba meets Rafiki, who explains that his father lives on. Mufasa's spirit appears in the sky and tells Simba he is the one true king and must take his place in the Circle of Life. Reawakened, Simba finds his courage and heads for home. Meanwhile, Nala wakes Timon and Pumbaa to ask where Simba is, and Rafiki appears to tell them all the news. The three of them catch up with him in the Pride Lands, where he witnesses the ruin of his home. Timon and Pumbaa distract some hyenas by doing the Charleston, allowing Simba and Nala to reach Pride Rock.

Scar calls for Sarabi and demands to know why the lionesses are not hunting. Sarabi stands up to him about the lack of anything to hunt because the herds have moved on and that they must leave Pride Rock in order to survive. By, angrily comparing him to Mufasa, Scar strikes his sister-in-law saying that he's ten times the king Mufasa was. Enraged, Simba reveals himself. Scar forces a confession of murder from Simba and corners him. Believing that he has won, Scar taunts Simba by admitting that he killed Mufasa. Furious, Simba recovers and forces Scar to reveal the truth to the lionesses. Simba's friends fight the hyenas while Simba battles Scar to the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for his life, blaming the hyenas for everything. Simba lets him leave out of mercy, but Scar turns quickly and he tries to attack again. But luckily, Simba blocks the attack and Scar falls from the cliff. The hyenas, who heard Scar's betrayal and are still starving, tear him to shreds.

With the battle won, Simba's friends come forward and acknowledge Simba as the rightful king. Simba ascends Pride Rock and roars out across the kingdom. The Pride Lands recover and the animals gather in celebration as Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub, continuing the Circle of Life.

Musical numbers[]

Act I

  • "Circle of Life" - Rafiki and Ensemble
  • "Grasslands Chant" - Ensemble
  • "The Morning Report" - Zazu
  • "The Lioness Hunt" - Sarabi and Ensemble
  • "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" - Young Simba, Young Nala, Zazu and Ensemble
  • "Chow Down" - Shenzi, Banzai and Ed
  • "They Live in You" - Mufasa and Ensemble
  • "Be Prepared" - Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and Ensemble
  • "The Stampede" - Ensemble and Rafiki
  • "Rafiki Mourns" - Ensemble
  • "Hakuna Matata" - Timon, Pumbaa, Young Simba, Simba and Ensemble

Act II

  • "One by One" - Ensemble
  • "The Madness of King Scar" - Scar, Zazu and Hyenas
  • "Shadowland" - Nala, Rafiki and Ensemble
  • "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa
  • "Endless Night" - Simba and Ensemble
  • "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" - Timon, Pumbaa, Simba, Nala and Ensemble
  • "He Lives in You (Reprise)" - Rafiki, Simba and Ensemble
  • "King of Pride Rock/Circle of Life (Reprise)" - Ensemble
Advertisement