The idea to stage The Lion King Kids was introduced over the summer but it was not immediately decided upon because of the overwhelming technical demands. The more we discussed the idea and listened to the music, the more I became convinced that this would be a show the kids would respond to - not only because most of them would be familiar with the movie by the same name, but because of the universal themes that would appeal to youngsters: family, love, responsibility and redemption, to name just a few.
But then the technical demands of the show did have to be addressed. Namely - the masks! How in the world was I going to be able to create all of these puppets and masks? Julie Taymor directed and designed the original version of The Lion King on Broadway and in doing so broke new ground with her use of masks and puppetry. So much so, that it is difficult to imagine the story without incorporating at least some of her ideas. I found myself intrigued by the thought of creating these pieces, and with my husband cheerleading me on, converted our garage into mask-making centrale! It was slow going at first, especially hampered by the heat and humidity of an Atlanta summer. Slowly but surely the process began taking shape and characters began appearing from lumps of clay.
The other main component in the show is the music and there was one person I immediately thought of who would be able to teach the students the beautiful, yet challenging sounds that are interchangeably sung in Zulu, Xosa, Swahili and English. Cristy Caldwell is a master teacher of chorale singing for youth and someone I had worked with closely at Autrey Mill Middle School. The kids immediately responded to her instruction and were memorizing songs within the first few days under her tutelage.
We were very fortunate to persuade the talented choreographer Buddy Stotts to join our team. “Mr. Buddy” infused great fun into the rehearsal process and gave the kids a great feeling of accomplishment.
Many, many thanks to our wonderful parent/producer Jill Cohen who answered texts and emails at all hours of the day and night and rallied the fantastic group of Barnwell parents to sew, drive, glue, paint, cut, apply makeup, braid hair, clean and so much, much more. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you for attending tonight’s performance. It has been a joy to direct the talented students of Barnwell Elementary.
Amy Creamer
Director and Designer
