Assignment 3 Modern-Day Counterparts of Baroque Theatre

                                                              “The Lion King”

I chose the Broadway musical ‘The Lion King” I got to watch my little sister perform this musical/play live and it had many of the Baroque Theater qualities. When I was reading over the material in this module over the baroque theater production and the stage techniques I automatically thought about this musical/play. The performance started out with a bare stage and the playwright came on stage and talked about how hard the students had worked on the play. Then all of the sudden the lighting lit up the back drop and you heard the musical “The Circle of Life” All the actors where singing and the performance began. It was really entertaining the curtains would close and then the stage would have another setting with special effects and the plot went along with the original Lion King movie. The elaborate costumes were such a spectacle. The students would sing another song and the stage machinery were right on time. The scene would go with the plot and it was telling the story. This play reminded me of the Baroque Theater because it had so many different qualities of the Baroque Era. The lightning, the high drama, contrast, set decoration, and special effects just to name a few. My favorite was the high drama and the contrast in emotion and mood. There was a scene where Simba dad dies and the setting was sad and gloomy, then it would be followed by a happy scene and upbeat music, like the song Hakuna Matata and this would change the mood of the audience and setting. We really do owe a great deal to the Baroque theater and their inspirations’.

 

Austin Minton                                                                                         

Top of Form