A behind the scenes look at Disney's "The Lion King" at the Orpheum Theatre
MINNEAPOLIS — An incredible blend of acting, artwork and engineering is bringing the stage to life at a Minneapolis theater.
Disney's "The Lion King" is amid a five-week stint at the Orpheum Theatre. The story is iconic, but the performance has become legendary. WCCO got an exclusive backstage look to see how the magic happens.
For more than 25 years, "The Lion King" has set a standard for pushing the limits of the audience's imagination as actors and their puppets turn into life-like characters made famous from the film.
It's a visual spectacle that Michael Reilly proudly helps orchestrate as the show's puppet supervisor for more than two decades.
In the basement of the Orpheum, he gave us a tour of his workspace. Several puppets, many of them masks and headpieces, were displayed. Simba's mask was done in a Roman style he said, with the jowl cut out where it meets the actor's head, and took 120 hours to make. Mufasa's mask is much larger and sits fully stop the actor's head in a Grecian style. It took 50 hours to make. Both have markings and designs inspired by the Maasai people of Africa.
"I put so much work and love and patience into the puppets, they feel like they're real," said Reilly.
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The captivated audience would agree. The actors must juggle lines and animal-like movements, then project them through their puppets.
"You don't want to treat the puppet-like it's a hat. So, even if it's just a mask you're wearing on your head, you really have to embody that," said Reilly.
There's a team of six people that not only create the puppets but work with the actors on how to embody them. A dance supervisor helps teach the movements for each puppet, some of which completely drape the actors like a costume. Other directors ensure the actors know where to stand on stage and how to make their puppet properly interact with other puppets, like making eye contact.
The movements of the puppet worn by Scar have kept fans guessing as to how it works. The mask starts above the actor's head, then lunges down in front of his face for dramatic effect, hiding the actor and allowing the villainous lion's face to steal the scene.
"I hear bungee system. I hear gravity. I hear some kind of lock that releases, but it's none of those things," said Reilly. The mask is controlled by a motor. A cable runs to a switch that the actor can hide in his hand. A quick flip of his thumb across the switch and the mask darts down to scowl at other characters on stage.
If you're thinking their necks must be sore, the masks and headpieces are made of carbon fiber. Scar's mask weighs only nine ounces.
While some puppets need a motor, others require good old-fashioned handiwork, like Mufasa's ornery sidekick Zazu, a red-billed hornbill. The actor must control the bird with both hands. One hand holds a trigger mechanism that controls Zazu's eyelids and beak, the other hand keeps the bird level and flaps the wings.
There's 230 puppets in the show, all with intricate and highly detailed designs that take dozens of hours to create.
They also aren't immune from the occasional snap, break, and tear. That means Reilly and his crew must be repair-ready with glue, zip ties and tape. That's on top of drawers upon drawers on tools.
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"We're on radio, so anything that happens we run to where the puppet is and figure out what's wrong with it, do that triage and then fix it, all before that next scene. So, there's some pressure there," he said.
The payoff is worth the pressure to ensure the show must go on.
The puppets' organic look, made to appear like wood and marble, while honoring African cultures are one of a kind. Much like the experience on stage wowing audiences for years to come.
"I just hope that we stand the test of time. I hope that this show is as magnificent as it was (over) 25 years ago when it was here," he said.
The Lion King's run at the Orpheum goes until April 28.
There are shows Tuesday through Sunday with two performances on each weekend day.
Tickets start around $39 dollars. To buy tickets, click here.
