Tag Archives: Lion King musical

There’s an old saying about artists suffering for their art.

In Julie Taymor’s world, the actors usually bare the scars.

I remember seeing a preview of “Lion King” before it opened on Broadway way back in 1994.  A jungle was virtually re-created in the New York City theater — an elephant walking down the center aisle, birds swooping high overhead, giraffes sauntering across the stage.

I had to pick up my jaw from the floor.

Even the stars of the show were adorned as lions, with huge headpieces that extended forward during the performance to add menace to the music.

Those same headpieces would later cause enormous physical problems for the actors, dancers and singers wearing them.

But Julie got her aesthetic….and her Tony Awards.

Eventually they re-engineered the headpieces so they wouldn’t do permanent physical damage.

I’m sure those same actors are watching the news reports coming out of the “Spiderman” musical on Broadway and shaking their heads — if they still can — in sympathy and understanding.

Human  injury has never stopped Julie Taymor in her quest to stay true to her vision in the past.  Do we really think it will stop her now?

The producers need to stop her.  We need to stop her.  But will we?

We are a nation of voyeurs.  As the accidents stack up, the producers of “Spiderman” know audiences are even more curious to see the spectacle.  We don’t want anyone to get seriously hurt, but…

We wanna see a show.

Julie, make it a safe one.  Or take it down.