Lion King (16/31)

Poster from Broadway Production

Today my mom and I took the boys to see The Lion King Musical. We have both seen it before but today was a first for my two boys (5 and 8 years old). Our seats were split up so I got to sit with my youngest little man. 

If you haven't seen this before, I strongly recommend you see it...if not for the story, then for the amazing costumes and unique way they interpret the story on the stage.  I was excited to see the show again but I think that I was more excited to see the look on my little guys face. 

The show started almost 10 minutes late and little man kept counting backwards from 20 in hopes that he'd trigger the start of the show. The lights slowly began to dim until the theater was pitch black. J let out a little groan and gripped my fingers tightly. Then the curtain lifted and the sun began to rise on stage. His eyes lit up and his mouth opened just a bit. (You can see some pictures of the show on this website.)

The animals began to join together on stage around the rock. I don't remember the exact order but I do remember watching the amazement on J's face. He studied the characters carefully, trying to figure out why people where riding bikes with antelopes attached to them. There was a cheetah that mimicked the actors movements, a HUGE elephant that was probably moved by at least 4 people, and several giraffes on stilts. It is a sight to behold. I watched the wonderment in my son's eyes turned to complete amusement. The characters had pulled him in and he was living in the moment. I couldn't imagine giving him a better gift. 

The smile, twinkle in his eyes, and his inability to look away from the stage will stay with me forever. It was a very special moment and a fabulous day.