MIAMI (WSVN) - “The Lion King,” one of Disney’s biggest hits, is now playing at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.
The off-Broadway musical opened at the performing arts center, at 1300 Biscayne Blvd., on Wednesday.
The musical has been seen by nearly 100 million people from all over the world, and it has been performed in eight different languages.
7News got a behind-the-scenes look of how the musical comes to life, Friday.
From performers to puppet masters to dance coaches, it takes a village to pull off one of the biggest musical shows in the country.
Sasha Caicedo is one of the cheetahs in the ensemble. The Miami native said not only does she make the animal match her movements, she brings it to life.
“Her name is Leila. She’s 2 years old. She’s been on stage for a year-and-a-half. She’s my baby,” Caicedo said. “In the beginning, it was the coordination that I had to get down, so left arm, right leg, right arm, left leg, move your head at the same time, breathing. I’ve come a long way now to actually manipulate and make it look natural on stage.”
One would think bringing just one puppet to life would be hard but try 230.
Puppet master Michael Reilly has been on tour with the musical since 1999.
He’s in charge of painting, sculpting, electrical repairs and everything the puppets need, and he said that’s not even the hardest part.
“We get to put on a show and hear the audience reactions every night, and that’s so special to us,” Reilly said. “You know, the hardest part of working with all the puppets is devoting time. You have to do like a triage, like what puppet needs your attention the most every day, so you really balance that, and of course, every puppet needs some attention.”
Animals are not the only ones who need attention.
Head Wardrobe Supervisor Gregory Young said, “This is one of the jungle pods where Simba invites Nala to this lush place because Scar has let the savanna dry up, and then, at a certain point of the show, everything blooms, and they open up their dresses, and then you get all these bright colors.”
We all remember that scene from the Disney classic, don’t we?
If it isn’t enough just to watch the story unfold on stage and receive love from the audience, some Miami natives part of the musical are happy just to be able to perform back home.
Dance Captain Christopher L. McKenzie, Jr. said, “That’s what I love about being home in Miami and representing the 305, the 954, 786 — all of those awesome aspects of Florida.”
The musical will be performed at the Adrienne Arsht Center until Sunday, May 24.
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