Tom: DISNEY'S "THE LION
KING" IS COMING TO JUANITA K.
HAMMONS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
FOR TWO WEEKS ONLY.
IT BEGINS TOMORROW AND RUNS
THROUGH MARCH 10th.
Joy: GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY,
BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS
THIS!
♪
Joy: OH, MY GOODNESS, THAT
BEGINS TOMORROW IN SPRINGFIELD.
SPENCER, WELCOME!
Guest: THANK YOU.
DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
Joy: GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
TELL US ABOUT SCAR.
SCAR IS A JEALOUS SORT OF GUY.
Guest: A LITTLE BIT.
HE'S REALLY MISUNDERSTOOD.
[LAUGHTER]
Guest: NO.
VERY, VERY POWER-HUNGRY.
VERY -- WANTS ALL THE GLORY FOR
HIMSELF.
YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD,
VERY JEALOUS OF HIS BIGGER
BROTHER MUFASA.
YEAH, HE'S ALL ABOUT HIS
HIMSELF.
Tom: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO STEP
INTO A ROLE LIKE THIS?
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, "THE LION
KING," THIS IS AN ICONIC ROLE.
Guest: RIGHT.
IT'S MAGICAL.
IT'S LIKE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME
OPPORTUNITY.
I LOVE CHANNELLING LITTLE JEREMY
IRONS IN THERE, WHO DID THE
ORIGINAL VOICE.
Joy: WHO DID THE VOICE.
CHEW ON.
Joy: IT'S A SUPER FUN ROLE.
IS IT A PHYSICAL SHOW TO BE?
?
Guest: INCREDIBLY.
Joy: I CAN'T SEE HOW IT
WASN'T BE A VERY PHYSICAL SHOW.
Tom: THE ONLY THING I DIDN'T
SEE WAS TAP DANCING AS FAR AS
THE ARTS ARE CONCERNED.
[LAUGHTER]
Tom: A LITTLE BIT OF
EVERYTHING.
Guest: YES, YES.
THE CHOREOGRAPHY IN THIS IS
ICONIC.
THE PHYSICALITY AND THE WAY WE
MOVE OUR BODIES AS A NOD TO THE
ANIMAL THAT WE'RE PORTRAYING,
IT'S INCREDIBLY PHYSICAL.
VERY PHYSICALLY DEMANDING, YES.
Joy: WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC?
Guest: MAN, THE SCORE FROM
THE FILM, FROM THE FILM IS
BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH.
BUT THE WAY THEY EXPANDED IT FOR
THIS BROADWAY VERSION, JUST AMPS
IT UP, AND IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!
MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THIS
VERSION, ARE THE WAY THEY
EXPANDED THE SCORE.
Tom: AND YOU CAN'T EXPECT
WHAT YOU SAW -- WHAT YOU'VE SEEN
IN THE ANIMATION.
COSTUMES.
THEY'RE BASED ON BEAUTIFUL,
TRADITIONAL, AFRICAN GARB.
AND THE MASKS THAT WE WEAR, THAT
I WEAR PARTICULARLY, DOES THIS
MOVEMENT.
AND IT REPRESENTS THE ANIMAL.
Joy: IS IT HEAVY?
Guest: THERE'S NOTHING ELSE
LIKE IT.
Tom: I WOULD IMAGINE.
DIFFERENT CENTERS OF BALANCE ALL
OF THE SUDDEN.
Guest: YES, YES.
Tom: I NOTICE FROM WHAT
WE'VE SHOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT
AGO, EVERYTHING TAKES ON A LIFE.
IT IS LIKE YOU SEE THE WAVING
GRASS AND ALL OF THAT.
Joy: OH, YEAH.
Guest: RIGHT.
RIGHT.
CAST MEMBERS PLAY THE PLANT
SEQUENCE WHEN MUFASA IS TAKING
YOUNG SIMBA AROUND IN THE GRASS
LANDS, THE PRIDE LANDS, AND THE
ENSEMBLE PLAYS THE GRASS!
THE CHOREOGRAPHY, THE WAY YOU
CAN SEE THE GRASS FLOWING IN THE
WIND, IT'S SPECTACULAR.
Joy: YOU'RE ORIGINALLY FROM
TEXAS.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS?
Guest: OH, MY.
GOSH, I WENT TO COLLEGE IN
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS AT SAM HOUSTON
STATE UNIVERSITY.
I FINALLY GOT THERE AUGUST OF
'09.
AND HAD BEEN THERE WORKING WITH
THE SAME AGENT FOR TEN YEARS
ALMOST NOW.
AND THIS WAS AN AUDITION THAT
CAME MY WAY.
TALKED TO MY WIFE.
IS THIS THE KIND OF THING WE
WANT TO PURSUE?
WE'D BE ON THE ROAD FOR AWHILE.
WE AGREED YES, ABSOLUTELY WORTH
IT.
AND IT WENT MY WAY.
Joy: WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
Tom: IT'S NOT AN EASY LIFE,
BEGINS TOMORROW.
OPENING NIGHT IS THURSDAY AT
JUANITA K. HAMMONS.
SPENCER, THANK YOU!
WE'VE GOT YOU FOR TWO WEEKS.
Tom: THIS IS GREAT.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.