ENTERING THE CONTEST.
>> Jason: IT WAS 1997 WHEN
DISNEY BREAKTHROUGH ITS HIT
ANIMATED MOVIE "THE LION KING"
TO LIFE ON STAGE.
NOW, NEARLY 25 YEARS LATER, IT
CONTINUES TO AMAZE AUDIENCES
THAT SEE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
OR RETURN TO EXPERIENCE IT ONCE
AGAIN.
THE MUSICAL IS BACK IN DETROIT
FOR A FOUR-WEEK ENGAGEMENT
STARTING THURSDAY JANUARY 27
27th.
AND JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT
THE SHOW ARE DARIAN SANDERS, WHO
PLAYS SIMBA, AND SPENCER
PLETCHIE WHO PLAYS SCAR IN THE
MUSICAL.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING WITH
US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> PLEASURE.
GOOD MORNING.
>> Jason: YEAH, BEFORE JOINING
THE CAST, WE’VE SEEN YOU IN THE
SHOW.
>> WHEN I JOINED THE CAST, BACK
IN 2018, I HAD NEVER SEEN THE
SHOW, AND IT WAS -- I AUDITIONED
FOR IT AND HAD A GREAT TIME
AUDITIONING FOR IT, AND IT WAS
AN AMAZING TO DISCOVER THE SHOW
AS I LEARNED IT, AND IT’S BEEN A
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
PLAYING SCAR.
>> Jason: YOU PLAY OBVIOUSLY
ONE OF DISNEY’S MOST ICONIC
VILLAINS.
HOW DO YOU GET INTO THE
CHARACTER OF SCAR?
>> I... I REALLY HARKIN BACK TO
THE ORIGINAL ANIMATED FILM A
LOT.
IT’S A HUGE INSPIRATION IN HOW I
HAVE APPROACHED THIS.
GERMANYJEREMY IRONS BROUGHT SUCH
DELICIOUS FLAVOR IT TO.
WHAT I’M DOING IS AN HOMAGE TO
THAT.
I TRY TO DO A LITTLE OF MY OWN
TAKE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S... LIKE YOU
SAID, IT’S AN ICONIC DISNEY
VILLAIN.
IT’S ONE OF THE BEST, AND IT’S
SO MUCH FUN TO DO IT.
>> Jason: THE MOVEMENT.
OF YOUR CHARACTER IS SO SPE GRAL
TO THE PART, BECAUSE YOU’RE
ALMOST LIKE A PUPPETEER WITH
THESE COSTUMES.
TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.
>> YEAH, THE PUP TRY IN PUPPETRY
SHOW THROUGHOUT IS JUST
SPECTACULAR.
I EXHIBIT THE PUPPETRY WITH THE
MASK THAT I WEAR UP ON MY HEAD,
AND IT COMES DOWN AND GOES UP
AND GOES DOWN AND COMES UP.
AND THAT’S A REALLY EXCITING
PART OF INCORPORATING THE
ANIMAL, THE LION INTO THE
CHARACTER.
AND THAT’S... IT’S JUST... HEY,
I GET THE WEAR ARGUABLY THE
GREATEST COSTUME IN BROADWAY
HISTORY.
SPECTACULAR.
>> Jason: SO YOU HAVE THAT
GOING FOR YOU.
SAME QUESTION TO DARIAN.
THE PUPPETEER QUESTION.
>> YEAH, AS FAR AS SIMILAR BA IS
SIMBA IS CONCERNED, I DON’T HAVE
ELABORATE A MASK AS SPENCER,
BECAUSE HE HAS SOME MECHANICS
THAT ALLOWS HIS MASK TO GO DOWN
AND UP.
MAY MINE IS JUST A HEADPIECE,
BUT WITH THAT, BEING ABLE TO BE
SECURE ON MY HEAD, IT ALLOWS ME
TO JUMP AROUND, DO SOME DANCING.
I HAVE TO DO SOME FLIPS FROM
TIME TO TIME AND GET TO SWING ON
SOME VINES.
SO I LOVE IT.
>> Jason: WELL, DARIAN, THE
SHOW IS GOING TO BE IN DETROIT
FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE
WEEKS HAVE.
YOU DONE YOUR RESEARCH ON PLACES
THAT YOU SHOULD BE CHECKING OUT
WHILE YOU’RE HERE?
>> OH, YEAH.
SO I HAVE HEARD OF A LOT OF
DIFFERENT PLACES TO VISIT.
BOTH THROUGH MOTOWN AND JUST
OTHER MUSEUMS AND SOME GOOD FOOD
SPOTS TO STOP IN.
BUT ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
SUGGESTIONS.
>> YEAH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE
COULD PROBABLY FOLLOW YOU ON
SOCIAL MEDIA AND ANYBODY
WATCHING US RIGHT NOW COULD HIT
YOU UP ON THE GRAM OR TWITTER
AND TELL YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU
NEED TO GO, BECAUSE DETROIT HAS
BECOME A TOTAL FOODIE
DESTINATION.
LION KING IS PART OF BROADWAY IN
DETROIT, AND TICKETS ARE
AVAILABLE ONLINE.
DARIAN AND SPENCER, BOTH OF YOU,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE
TIME TO SPEAK WITH US.
>> SUCH A PLEASURE.