Review: The Lion King National Tour Brings Disney Magic Back to The Smith Center
- Dan Sattel and Christianne Klein
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
If you’re a child of the 90s, or have had a child at any point since the 90s, you know Disney’s animated musical masterpiece, The Lion King, by heart. We fell in love with the animated classic, which was brought to life in a brilliantly conceptualized stage show by director Julie
Taymor back in 1997. I have never met someone who wasn’t wowed at the first elephant making its way down the aisles to the stage. Taymor’s direction and creation are still among the best uses of puppetry and full-body acting on stage. In any show. Ever. The stage musical is nearing 30 years old, but what’s amazing about this production is how well it survives its decades and continues to bring in new fans. We’ve been lucky enough to see casts around the world, from London to Broadway to national tours, and there’s always something new to catch: an update here, a brilliant performance there. Which brings us to the current national tour, now playing at The Smith Center in Las Vegas.
From the opening “Circle of Life” to the final coronation, the production delivered grandeur and intimacy that made the familiar story feel fresh.
The ensemble is STRONG: dancers and singers moving symbiotically, creating the illusion of a living savanna. The animal parade that wound its way through the aisles was breathtaking, and it wasn’t confined to a single moment. Throughout the show, birds swooped overhead and creatures moved among us, blurring the line between the stage and the audience. It felt as though we were seated in the savanna itself, watching the action unfold around us.
This is a cast with strength throughout, and several performances deserve special mention. The hyena chorus was a highlight, with the trio bringing comic menace to every scene - especially Shenzi, played with sharp wit and energy by Martina Sykes. Thembelihle Cele’s Nala was exceptional; her physicality made her completely become the lioness, and her delivery of “Shadowlands” was both powerful and moving. Scar was perfectly played by Peter Hargrave, the character you love to hate - and a favorite for all three of us. David D’Lancy Wilson’s Mufasa brought dignity and warmth, and his rendition of “They Live in You” was sung so beautifully it brought tears to our eyes. Nick LaMedica was consistently hilarious as Zazu, a difficult role that he carried with ease and charm. And though we weren’t able to sleuth out the actor behind the cheetah, her performance was wonderful, adding to the richness of the ensemble.
What made this performance especially meaningful was watching it with our 7-year-old daughter, Livia. In 2024, she played Young Simba at Broadway Kids Academy, and seeing her compare her own choices with those onstage was really exciting as parents. She noticed moments that were different from her own production, and commented on how those elements changed the shape of the show.
Ultimately, The Lion King at the Smith Center is more than a retelling of a beloved film. It’s a shared experience between the actors on stage and the animals in the audience - one that reminds us of the ties between parent and child, the weight of responsibility, and the joy of residing in the Circle of Life. The Lion King doesn’t just live on stage; it lives in us.
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