Disney’s The Lion King is in the middle of a 12 week run in Honolulu. I saw the movie already. End of story.
What is it about broadway productions that cause people to swoon and oooh and aaah when they go local? It happens all the time.
A decade ago “The Phantom of the Opera” plastered a white mask and a rose all over the Blaisdell each night. The same took place with the mournful image of Cosette during “Les Miserables.” I saw the former as a black and white movie, and the latter I read in high school. Both were boring. End of story.
Or, not. There’s that circle of life thing vying for attention of those too young to understand and those too old to care. The Lion King image looks menacing over the Blaisdell and King Street traffic at night. Can you imagine how many children are scared into wetting their pants at the sight when their parents drive by at night?
Mom: “Look, Ashley! It’s The Lion King! Lions eat people.”
Ashley: “Bwaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
Children never learn the true meaning of the circle of life. They’re participants.
Here’s how it works. Disney produces movie aimed at children. Parents take children to see movie, thereby doubling cost of movie. Parents take children to McDonald’s or Burger King to buy food and plastic movie characters to enjoy while eating said food. Disney makes more money.
Months later, parents buy DVD of same movie so children can watch movie (again) over and over, said movie which acts as defacto baby sitter, negating the efforts of parents to teach said child the facts of life, let alone the circle of life.
Disney extends life cycle of movie story line and creates a line of new products, including pajamas, underwear, Halloween costumes, sheets and pillowcases, and a sequal DVD that never made it to the movie theaters, but which parents bought anyway. Included in the product line is the requisite broadway play, whereby the characters dance around on stage to music so loud it loosens ear wax, all while wearing exaggerated mutant costumes which resemble nothing in the original movie.
All the while, Disney makes more money.
That, my friends, is the circle of life.
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