By Kevin McLaughlin|Cleveland Classical
This article was originally published on Cleveland.com
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – With the unhurried grace of a great cat, on Friday, August 29 at Blossom Music Center, The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Festival Chorus made the live score of Disney’s The Lion King sound effortless. Ably led by conductor Sarah Hicks, Hans Zimmer’s music and the ear-catching songs of Elton John and Tim Rice took on a vividness and power that occasionally outdid the movie.
In her introduction, Hicks reminded the larger-than-usual and decidedly youngish crowd that The Lion King marks its 30th anniversary this year. She invited them to cheer for their favorite characters — Simba, Nala, perhaps Timon — and to boo the villainous Scar. This audience was eager to comply.
The Lion King is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, although other parallels come to mind — the story of Moses, Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, even Superman. If you’ve never seen the movie or the Broadway adaptation, or don’t usually go in for succession tales, it’s undeniably satisfying to watch the bad king get his comeuppance. The music might not be as memorable as you’d expect from a Disney film, nevertheless it’s plenty fun and engaging.
Hearing Zimmer’s score live only underlined its craft. Balances were generally good for an outdoor performance, although at times the orchestra overpowered the dialogue and singing. The brass drove the wildebeest stampede, the strings accompanied Simba’s exile, and the percussion sharpened the battles. Throughout, Hicks kept the film and score in sync with calm precision, aided by a discreet visual click track above her music stand — a welcome alternative to the usual clunky headphones.
The chorus added a colorful dimension to the soundtrack. Under Lisa Wong’s direction they sang Lebo M’s African-inflected arrangements with lovely, cantata-like polish. The powerful opening of “Circle of Life” was startlingly effective and in the “King of Pride Rock” finale, chorus and orchestra combined in a grandeur equal to the film’s visual spectacle.
A measure of the evening’s success were the long stretches when orchestra and chorus disappeared seamlessly into the film’s dramatic flow. Audience response was immediate and joyful. Applause broke out after most set pieces, especially “Circle of Life,” while “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” drew cheers even as the film continued. Children and adults alike hummed along with “Hakuna Matata.”
The movie may have been released more than thirty years ago, but the live musical experience made it feel genuinely and irresistibly newly minted.
The Lion King will be repeated at Blossom on Saturday, August 30 at 7 PM, and on Sunday, August 31 at 7 PM.
Kevin McLaughlin is a freelance writer and editor. He recently joined Ideastream Public Media as a part-time host for JazzNEO. His weekly podcast on early jazz, “At the Jazz Band Ball,”can be found on a variety of podcast platforms.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com September 3, 2025
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