Celebrate the Circle of Life in this timeless story of courage, friendship, and destiny. The Lion King KIDS features classic songs from the Broadway musical and animated feature film, including “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” “He Lives in You,” and “Hakuna Matata.” Young performers will have the chance to explore this beloved story with creativity and pride.
Roles:
Rafikis- A wise madrill who acts as healer of the Pridelands and guides Simba on his journey home. The Rafiki narrators - five aspects of one character - are the five leading villagers who become the story's narrators.
Villagers- Villagers will play many roles in the story, from animals of the Pridelands (such as giraffes, elephants, lionesses, etc.) to hyenas to wildebeest.
Young Simba- The protagonist of the story, is an adventurous and endearing cub who can't wait to be king of the Pridelands. Simba is playful, energetic, and naive, but after his father Mufasa's death, Simba struggles with shame and his destiny.
Young Nala- A courageous lion and Young Simba's best friend. This confident cub is not afraid to speak her mind.
Mufasa- The strong, honorable, and wise lion who leads the Pridelands. Mufasa should command respect onstage and also show tenderness with his son, Simba.
Scar- The antagonist of the show, overcome with jealousy of his brother, Mufasa, and nephew, Simba. Coldhearted and wickedly intelligent, he will stop at nothing to become king of the Pridelands.
Simba- He grows from a cub to lion in "Hakuna Matata." Older Simba has more complex moments as he reunites with Nala, mourns his father, and returns to confront Scar,
Nala- She grows from a cub to a lioness before she confronts Scar in a pinnacle moment of the show.
Zazu- The anxious yet loyal assistant to Mufasa who is always busy trying to do his duty.
Sarabi- A featured lioness, Mufasa's mate, and Simba's mother.
Pumbaa- A kindhearted, sensitive warthog who enjoys his simple life of grubs and relaxation. He’s a loveable and loyal friend to Timon and Simba.
Timon- An outcast meerkat who lives in the jungle with Pumbaa. He is afraid of his own shadow, but pretends to be the confident, relaxed leader of the duo.
Ed, Shenzi, Banzai- Ed has a loud, cackling laugh that is his only form of communication. Ed should be played by an actor who can laugh unabashedly and communicate through physicality and facial expressions rather than words. Shenzi is the sassy one of the trio and is always looking out for herself. With Banzai and Ed, she should be able to laugh loudly and long and be menacing to Young Simba and Young Nala. Banzai is a slick yet childish hyena who works for Scar. He/she would be the leader of the group if hyenas weren't so lazy. Banzai is outgoing and confident but must portray nastiness and gruffness.
