DURHAM, N.C. — It’s one of the most recognized and watched Broadway musicals in the world, and for the next few weeks, Disney’s "The Lion King" is making Durham its temporary home.
From May 16 through June 9, the winner of multiple Tony Awards and over 70 global theatrical awards is lighting up the stage at the Durham Performing Arts Center.
When it comes to the music, set, lighting, head pieces, puppets and costumes, it takes a lot to pull off the show.
What You Need To Know
- Spectrum News 1 sees how this magical performance is brought to life on the road
- The show is a winner of over 70 global theatrical awards
- There are just over 300 costume changes and over 200 puppets in the show
- The tour travels with 12 musicians who play over 80 different musical instruments from all over the world
Spectrum News 1 recently got a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the costume bunker for a look at what it takes to pull off this elaborate production.
The show’s wardrobe assistant, Quinto Ott, took our crew through the rows of costumes, full of beautifully beaded neck and delicate painted headpieces.
“We have about 300 costume changes a night that we deal with here at Lion King. All of our costumes are custom made for each of our actors,” Ott said. “So you’ll have these animals with these heads and the bodies and everything, but you always have the human person center in all of it.”
Ott added some of the cast members make upwards of 30 costume changes a night. It’s not just the amount, but also the size of some costumes that’s also grand.
The tallest animals in the show are four 18-foot giraffes, while the elephant stands 13-feet long and 9-feet wide.
“As a consummate theater nerd, I really love being able to share all the artistry that we do in the wardrobe department, that all the actors do on stage, and all the departments, the puppet department, the hair and makeup department, the fly folks, the carpenters, everybody who’s here making this magic happen," Ott said.
However, he added the magic doesn’t come easy. It takes 17 large trucks to haul all the costumes, set and equipment. That’s why the show must set up shop for multiple weeks each time it visits a city.
“It takes a couple of days to unload everything and set it up, and get everything plugged in, unpack it all,” Ott added.
Celebrating 26 years on Broadway, and touring North America now for over 21 years, the show has been seen by millions of people around the world. They’ve played nearly 10,000 performances in more than 90 cities.
“We’re so lucky here on The Lion King to have people from all over the planet represented in our company. The show is written in multiple languages,” Ott said.
A huge production, that’s entertaining and transporting audiences, for an immersive, one-of-a-kind experience, now in our own backyard.
For show and ticket information, visit Durham's Performing Arts Center's (DPAC’s) website.