Review of the Lion King Music Show

Published on

in

Photo by Alexas Fotos on Pexels.com

Before I get started on this Review of The Lion King Music Show, as always, scores will be, to some degree, in comparison to the other songs in the show, not just in comparison to the songs in Frozen or Aladdin.

Lion King Music Show starring Marissa Mann, Jeannette Ocampo Welch, John Chen, and Andie Campbell

Circle of Life

Circle of Life: Megahn Howard as soloist, Andie Campbell as Rafiki, with Marissa Mann, Donna Roberts Cunningham, Nicole Smith, & John Chen

Already video is much better than previous shows, and vocal blend is incredible. A couple of notes–Rafiki vocals are somewhat distorted due to the microphone, and soloist vocals could have more expression. Otherwise, this is an incredible start: B.

I Just Can’t Wait to Be King

I Just Can’t Wait to Be King starring Marissa Mann, Andie Campbell, & Nicole Smith, with John Chen & Megahn Howard.

Some distortion on the video, but nothing major. Vocals are good, but nothing in particular stands out with Simba and Nala. The star of the show here is Zazu. Excellent acting. Splash is too loud for a bird though.

Chorus sounds great in their section. Ending is strong, especially from Simba.

Great comedic ending with Zazu. This one gets a C.

Be Prepared

Be Prepared Starring Jeannette Ocampo Welch as Scar, Marissa Mann on clarinet & as Shenzi, & Nicole Smith as Banzaii, with Andie Campbell, John Chen, & Donna Roberts Cunningham

Jeannette Ocampo Welch is perfect as Scar! Great costume and vocals. The sign language is also a nice touch, and the clarinet part really adds to the song.

Video distortion with Shenzi and Ed, as well as the chorus, but it doesn’t detract too much. Video does not line up with vocals. Excellent acting from Banzai. Chorus sounds great.

This one gets an A-, mostly due to video issues.

Hakuna Matata

Hakuna Matata starring Andie Campbell as Timon & Nicole Smith as Pumbaa, with Marissa Mann & John Chen as Young & Adult Simba respectfully

One thing that was universally agreed upon by the cast was that the duets between Timon and Pumbaa were among the best vocals in the show. Blend is absolutely incredible. Sound quality is great on the solos as well, but together the chemistry is absolutely amazing. Minimal video issues with Timon. Ending harmonies are great. John’s low notes really fill out those chords!

This song gets an A.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight

Can You Feel the Love Tonight starring Andie Campbell as Timon/Flute, Nicole Smith as Pumbaa, John Chen as Simba, & Marissa Mann as Nala, with Megahn Howard.

Timon vocals sound great, and the flute is a nice addition. Marissa Mann does her best singing of the show as Adult Nala. Some video issues with the chorus. Balance is also not great. Lower female voices are hard to hear in the chord.

Timon and Pumbaa are great at the end. Very funny! This one gets a B+.

This Land

This Land: Andie Campbell, flute & Marissa Mann, Clarinet

This Land was my least favorite song to edit, and it shows. You can hear the metronome in places, and there are video issues with the clarinet. The most interesting part of this video is the credit. It also sounds as if the instruments are not in tune with each other. This one gets a D.

Spirit

Spirit: Sung by Andie Campbell

Balance is slightly off between vocals and accompaniment. Vocals need to go down and accompaniment needs to come up just a little. Some of the turns are sloppy, but otherwise, the vocals sound great. Angle of the microphone could be adjusted to help volume on the low notes. Video looks good–just a couple minor issues with the green screen. Some stumbling over words at the end.

This one gets a B+, in part due to technical difficulty.

I Just Can’t Wait to Be King End Title

I Just Can’t Wait to Be King End Title starring Marissa Mann as Simba & Olivia Vanessa Baumgart as Nala.

Oh, the sass from Simba–love the energy! Harmonies between Simba and Nala sound really nice, and the dancing is a nice touch. Vocal quality is slightly down due to using a karaoke version of the song instead of piano accompaniment, but still super fun. This one gets a B.

Be Prepared End Title

Be Prepared End Title starring Megahn Howard as Scar

Megahn Howard’s take on Scar is slightly different than Jeannette Ocampo Welch’s, taking a more matronly or teacher-type approach rather than that of a dictator. The approach definitely works. Blend is great with the background singers. This one gets a B.

Average Score

The average score for the production is a B-, largely brought down by This Land. So what do you think? Do you agree with my Review of The Lion King Music Show? Comment below.

More Great Posts

Leave a comment