Theater Review: Disney’s The Lion King is a roaring success - Playing through Sunday, June 7

The stage of the Providence Performing Arts Center has been transformed into the African savannah this week while the North American tour of The Lion King is in town. With it, they’ve brought whole herds of puppeted animals, and herds of people in to see them!

If you are somehow unfamiliar with the 1994 modern-classic film of the same name, the story follows young Simba, whose father Mufasa is the king of the Pridelands, coming into his own while navigating the politics of his scheming uncle, Scar.

The show is a marvel of theater, demonstrating the most of what the medium has to offer. From the opening number “Circle of Life,” the whole building comes to life. With actors in bovine masks on the balcony and a whole elephant walking down the aisle to the stage, the use of the space and the fabulous puppetry made for quite the spectacle from the very beginning. 

Of course, as the main character, the actors playing both Simba and Young Simba (Justin Mensah and Aaron Chao, respectively), did a wonderful job bringing the character to life through the more nostalgic numbers of “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and “Hakuna Matata.” The main stand-outs, however, were in the more silly or intensive roles. 

Zama Magudulela as Rafiki was a true delight. The physicality of that role blending both humor and wisdom is a challenging balance, but Magudulela navigated both elements with ease. Magudulela opens the show speaking Zulu, and speaks a number of other African languages throughout, including Swahili and Xhosa, rooting the story in African language and culture. While the meaning of those lines might not be translated for all audience members, the impact is preserved through her performance.

To acknowledge the most involved puppeteers in the main cast, the roles of Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa were the most intense. Nick LaMedica brought incredible life to Zazu, achieving quite the expressive effect with the head positioning and wing mechanics. As a bipedal meerkat, Timon was a remarkably complex puppet, executed masterfully by Nick Cordileone, who was able to capture Timon’s wild hand gesturing while also moving the puppet’s mouth and head. Danny Grumich as Pumbaa also moved with incredible skill despite the warthog’s size, with impressive precision in manipulating the mouth. 

As incredible as the actors playing the iconic characters were, the ensemble is what really elevates the show to another level. The diversity in their roles from scene to scene was incredible. Whether they embodied a massive herd of various animals all puppeted to perfection, or dressed as several different kinds of grass and other foliage helping bring the Pridelands or jungle to life, the show would fall flat without its incredibly talented ensemble. 

All together, this production of The Lion King captures the fun of the original movie with the added wonder that can only be achieved on stage in a musical that can be enjoyed by all. It’s the perfect conclusion to the PPAC’s 2025-2026 Encore Series. 

For more information on The Lion King or the 2026-2027 season at the PPAC, visit ppacri.org.