I’m 
... on One of the most popular Broadway musicals ever, the Lion King, is coming to South Africa, says BBC. I’m having trouble imagining how an African country will respond to the watered-down re-presentation of culture, complete with a heavy dose of Disney and Americana. The BBC article says the show will be changed a bit, but it seems like the basic allegory will still be present, and perhaps, offensive in its simplification and diluting of its sources.
Or maybe they’ll do a really good job, with lots of cultural sensitivity and an interest in the message the show promotes. (Or maybe not.)
What do you think?
The 27th Comrade says:
If I remember well, there was an `Africanised’ Julius Caesar, once. But it was just a watered-down equivalent of reading about Shaka Zulu.
This Lion King thing has also happened before, I remember. And they try to Africanise it. But with the wrong picture of Africa (tall warriors and roaming lions), the West Africanises the wrong way. If, for example, Simba gets killed at birth by Scar, which Scar also has `American’ written above his eye, that is Africanised enough.
Bleedin’ Heart!
[Reply]
— June 7, 2007 @ 5:59 am
jose patricio says:
as a symbol for the threat of homosexuality, scar (jeremy irons, i think) was hot in the disney version. he should come out on top for the sa version, shake things up a bit.
[Reply]
— June 9, 2007 @ 10:17 am
Rebecca Jupiter says:
On some level, what’s the difference? Who will spend the money to see a Lion King musical? I’ve never seen the show, although it is supposed to be good (despite the Disney connection.) I know the guy who was the original Simba, then was Harpo in the Color Purple on Broadway, now he has moved on to other things, but very talented.
[Reply]
— June 12, 2007 @ 6:07 am
DeTamble says:
I like the warthog!
[Reply]
— October 16, 2007 @ 7:57 pm