We are on a multi-week family vacation in London and the UK. We (including the kids) took in two shows, Wicked and The Lion King. We were all very familiar with the movie versions of this material. But the live musical experience definitely offers something above and beyond.

Wicked the musical is leaps and bounds better than the two movies. The movies always felt very dragged out, having to fill the space of two feature-length films. The musical moves so breezily, and all the songs and jokes just seem to make more sense. The story is still somewhat non-sensical in the second act, but it goes by so quickly that it’s not as noticeable.

The theatre itself is also part of the musical. I love that the venues here are purpose-built for the musical (similar to NY Broadway). The Apollo Victoria Theatre had a giant moving dragon built on top of the stage that is incorporated into the show itself. There were also ladders and small sets along the edges of the stage.

The acting was truly next level. The star roles of Elphaba and Glinda were played by Emma Kingston and Zizi Strallen. They were both incredible, with pitch-perfect singing and wonderful acting to complement. Zizi Strallen seems to come from a particularly gifted musical family, as she has older sisters that have portrayed Mary Poppins and Maria von Trapp in West End shows.

Also, there is something completely ineffable about Defying Gravity in person. You actually see Elpha “fly” (really high!), you hear the impressive vocals, and you absolutely get lost in the moment. Seeing Wicked has been probably the highlight of the entire trip so far.

The Lion King was completely unscheduled for us, as we booked same-day tickets because we had a free night and because we were incredibly impressed with Wicked. The overall experience was still positive, but it wasn’t as incredible as Wicked. What makes The Lion King stand out is the costumes and set design. They make a concerted effort to represent all the animals, and the combination of costume and acting really makes it feel like you’re watching the animals (especially the lions) acting and singing on stage. While the stage and theatre isn’t as custom to the musical as the Wicked one, they did do a good job of putting the actors within the audience.

Story-wise, it’s really tough to compete with the original animated film, which I think is almost a perfect 90 minutes. For the musical, they have to stretch this out, so there are new songs and new minor story arcs. Some of the songs are interesting, but there is also a lot more instrumental and chanting music, which is much more like background music. Probably the best new material were the little comedy bits that take place during set changes. There was one exchange between Zazu and Mufasa which was really funny. And Rafiki the Mandrill (portrayed by Thenjiwe Nofemele) basically stole the show, as she was both the funniest character and had some of the best singing.

Topics: Musicals

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