"Remember this is not a play about furry animals. Then I leave it to each actor to discover how each moment should be expressed with truth and honesty. I work with them so they can discover their own life experiences that are similar to the character they are playing. Put them all together and you can't help but have complete success."Īs for his role in unifying the performance styles to find clarity in the material he says simply, "I allow the actors to bring to the plate what they have to offer. Next to them we have the skilled comedic talents that add fun and lightness to other moments. "Beside them we have the incredible voices of our South African performers (there is a rule that each production cast at least 6 actors from South Africa). "We cast heavy hitters from the world of classical theater for the roles of Scar and Mufasa," Stefaniuk explained. Though it's not rigid, he says there is a pattern to selecting the performers. "The actors are a melting pot of different experiences," he says. Indeed, he points to the variety of performance styles in the show as part of its appeal. That, he says, is one reason he generally casts powerful actors with classical acting experience as Scar.
It is also similar to the core plot in "Hamlet." Stefaniuk says Scar's first words "Life is not fair, I shall never be king," and his later actions to become king can be compared to Shakespeare's great villain "Richard III." Simba's uncle, the evil Scar, being the cause of the death of his brother the king, Mufasa, recalls the story of Cain and Abel. Simba has been compared to Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and his return is reminiscent of the parable of the Prodigal Son. He agrees that the story about Simba, a young lion who goes into self-exile after he believes he was the cause of his father's death, is time-honored. With this show people identify with the characters and the journey they each must take. He reveals what might be the most important reason for the show's universal appeal, saying, "At the core of any incredible piece of theater is a wonderful story told honestly. It's a beautiful production," he said by telephone from Amsterdam, where he is casting for a production which will open in Holland this October. "It's difficult for anyone not to be swept away by the spectacle, the music, the larger-than-life puppetry and the relationships. "Lion King" associate director John Stefaniuk doesn't think it odd that the show appeals to all ages and every culture. The film has grossed $100 million world-wide and the stage version of "The Lion King" has played in almost every country in the world - there is a production opening in China this spring - and continues to open or revisit major cities.
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