DIRECTOR’S NOTES
When we decided to produce The Lion King, Kids I was both nervous and excited at the same time. A show that my kids grew up watching and now I am asked to direct it on stage. Work began long before auditions. Sets were planned, costumes and make-up were designed.
The work began in September with the children. I’ve seen them grow through each rehearsal. Just as Simba found his inner strength these young performers have discovered their strength, too. The courage to be on stage and learn to act, dance, and sing in order to perform for others requires personal growth and the willingness to be a part of something bigger than yourself. They came as strangers and have now formed friendships and bonds that will stay with them forever.
It dawned on me during one of our rehearsals that The Lion King is about being a part of a family. We all need our family to be there to support and to love us. These kids may not know it, but they have each touched my heart and I consider them my family, my tribe, my friends.
Hakuna Matata!
Leigh Shadwell Thompson
