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March 28th, 2024

the lion king spotlight pageNick Cordileone as “Timon” and Ben Lipitz as “Pumbaa” in THE LION KING North American Tour. The show will be stopping in Wichita next month. Courtesy photo/Joan MarcusELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

 

Many people grew up with Disney’s “The Lion King” in their movie repertoire and next month, the stage show based on the movie will be making its way to Wichita for area audiences. 

“The Lion King” will be performing in Wichita from April 27 through May 8, and all the shows will be at the Century II Concert Hall in Wichita. The show follows young Simba as he flees the Pride Lands after a tragedy orchestrated by his wicked uncle, leaving the life he knew behind. Taken in by two unlikely friends, Simba starts anew, but when the weight of responsibility and a desperate plea from an old friend catch up with him, he must face his past and fulfill his destiny. 

Cast member Nick Cordileone, who portrays wacky meerkat Timon in the show, said he is excited for “The Lion King” to make its way back to Wichita.

“I'm really excited to be back in Wichita, the last time we were in Kansas, we were at the Kansas State Fair, which was really fun. Also, the space there at Century II is absolutely amazing in so many different ways, and we actually had a ping pong table set up backstage that everyone would play during breaks and stuff, and it was so much fun with that,” Cordileone said. “The last time we were there, I was traveling with my daughter, and she's now in college and starting her life and all of that, and the show was a great anchor for us as a father-daughter duo. The audiences there in Wichita were also fantastic, so I'm really excited to be back and perform there again.”

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Cordileone added it is especially good to be performing again after COVID-19 halted most live performances and show tours in the past couple years. 

“It's great, and it's so encouraging being able to perform again. It's a new normal, but it also gives us a sense of familiarity since we're actually on stage again and performing how we want. It's a return to something we're very familiar with, but we've got some new protocols in place to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy and is able to enjoy the show and everything,” Cordileone said. “And all of that is starting to become second nature to us by now, which I think is great.”

Cordileone added there are many parts of the show he enjoys both onstage and off. 

“It's kind of funny, because some of my favorite parts are when I'm not onstage, like with the opening 'Circle of Life' number, that's one that's just amazing to sit back and watch and see it open,” Cordileone said with a chuckle. “I also really like the 'Shadowlands' song with Nala and the other lionesses, that's another really beautiful part. When I'm onstage, one of my favorite parts is 'Under The Stars' with Pumbaa and Simba, that's another really cool part I enjoy being part of. I also love how universal Timon is, pretty much everyone I know says 'hakuna matata,' which means 'no worries,' and that's so cool how that is so universal. I really love that mindset is and how it's encouraging people to be fully in tune with the moment instead of worrying about what's happened in the past or what needs to be done in the future. That's something I try to emulate because I know people can get into the habit of overworrying and overthinking things, when we should really just be fully present in the present moment since that's the most valuable moment there is. Also, the puppet's really fun to work with and I just love it. ”

Overall, Cordileone added, fans of the film will definitely enjoy the stage show. 

“The biggest difference, I would say, is the stage show definitely places more of an influence on the multicultural South African heartbeat, and that comes out in such an amazing way that's not quite there in the film. So we get to really relish a bunch of different art styles with puppetry and masks and makeup and the costuming, it's those details that really make that aspect stand out for everyone, and it's pretty dazzling in a way the movie doesn't quite capture. The film is great, but the stage show takes a more grounded approach with the story and levels it up. There's honestly just nothing else like it. From the opening notes to the ending number, the audience is fully transported into this world and on this journey, and there's no letting go. It's a great story and a great show, and I promise everyone who comes will be encouraged and uplifted by it.”

Being part of such a big show, Cordileone added, takes a lot of hard work. 

“With the puppetry and choreography, We generally like to take four to five weeks before putting it on in front of an audience, and a lot of times, everyone's hitting the ground running, which means the show is going and rehearsals are going on during the day and everything's getting smoothed out with the choreography and everything else,” Cordileone said. “This was a great rehearsal process because we were actually allowed to learn along the way. We weren't expected to already be experts on day one, but we all very quickly became expert learners as we went through the whole process and everything else. With that, we also got to spend more time focusing on the puppetry and songs and scene work, and then along the way is when all three of those aspects came together to create on cohesive package.”

Cordileone said he is also excited for the rest of the show’s tour. 

“I'm looking forward to all the travel because we've all met so many great audience members on this tour and there's always a chance we'll be right in the backyards of those people and we'll be able to see them again, and that's always great,” Cordileone said. “We also get to see family members that way, which is also great. I also love the drive because I load everything up along with my dog and we're able to cruise the highways. I'm really excited to be back in Wichita again and having everyone come see the show, and I look forward to sharing the show and story with everyone who comes. It'll be a great experience for everyone, no one will forget it.”