Making The Lion Roar
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Lebo M and Mark Mancina aren't the typical names behind a multi-million dollar Broadway musical, and they're the first to admit to it. "I didn't even know that Beauty and the Beast was on Broadway," says Lebo. Echoes Mancina, "Neither of us knew anything abont musicals." But that naivete made them the perfect candidates to bring The Lion King's score from celluloid to stage. "We had no boundaries," says Mancina. "We just did it the way we felt we should do it." A film composer best known for his high-powered, percussive scores for Speed, Twister; and Con Air, Mancina first collaborated with Lebo on the Lion King movie; Lebo, a South African-born composer/perfomer, helped write and arrange the authentic African choral pieces; at the request of composer Hans Zimmer, Mancina produced and arranged several songs, including "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." The pair won Grammy Awards for their efforts, and reunited for Rhythm of the Pride Lands, an album of African-style music inspired by The Lion King. But a third collaboration - on a Broadway musical at that- was the farthest thing from thier minds.
"I never even imagined the film would be as big as it was," says Lebo. "I couldn't possibly visualize how to put it on stage." Nevertheless, he and Mancina felw to New York to meet direcotr Julie Taymor. And in two hours, relunctance and uncertainty gave way to excitement and vision. "As soon as we herd Julie's concept we both thought, we have to do this, " remembers Mancina. "We were blown away," says' Lebo. "The first we met, we actually started organizing and putting together music. That's how powerful the images that she painted for us."
What began that day was a more intense writing project than anyone could have foreseen. The, film's five Elton John-Tim Rice songs - "Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," "Be Prepared," "Hakuna Matata," and the Oscar-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" - would naturally be included, but thc average musical hoasts 12-15 numbers. John and Rice were asked to contribute three new songs ("TheMorning Report," "Chow Down," "The Madness of King Scar"), and a few of the blanks were filled with Lebo-Mancina-Zimmer compositions from the Pride Lands album. The rest, says Mancina, came about the old-fashioned way: "Lebo, Julie, and I just sat around the grand piano, and started at the beginning of the show," he recalls. "We decided what to use, how long things should be, and whether we needed new lyrics or brand-new songs."
Lebo and Mancina then embarked on their respective challenges: assembling an authentic African-sounding chorus and merging composer, singer, and orchestra in a live setting: Lebo was determined to cast South Africans in the chorus; after all, it was he who brought the filmmakers to Africa to record native voices for the Lion King film soundtrack. "Those voices became the core of the choral arrangements," explains Lebo. "In order to bring that authentic element to the stage, we had to have a number of performers from South Africa." Consequently, casting was a tremendous challenge. "We strategically looked for people with a particular talent and ear and feel, capable of adjusting from opera or R&B to this style of music, which is quite complex." About half of the chorus is South African, including Lebo and his wife, Nandi. Lebo begins the show every night - as he did the movie - with his stirring Zulu chant in "Circle of Life," and sings with the chorus (which he also directs) throughout the show. "Performing on stage every day, you develop a sense of appreciation of other people's artistry," he says. "I love the immediate reaction I get from myself, the audience, and the actors I'm working with."
Mancina's tasks were more varied, though no less intricate: "Writing, arranging, adapting, rehearsing with the cast, finding the musicians," he says. "Translating the music for Julie, and making sure she's getting what she wants. Trying Elton's songs, Hans' score, my score, Lebo's African vocalizing into Julie's visual presentation, which for me is brand new. I haven't seen anything like this before." But the musicians are quick to credit their director/co-writer. "Julie had such a strong vision; that really made it easier," Mancina says. "She wanted the music to be' organic; she wanted it to be African." Agrees Lebo, "Her creative input in all aspects of the production became even more inspirational to me as we continued working." Much of Lebo's grasslands and lioness chants, in fact, came from rehearsals with Taymor and choreographer Garth Fagan. "I would watch them put a scene together, and while they were working on it, in my mind I was creating melodies and rhythms. It's the most natural way of working that I've ever experienced."