By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Things will be getting a little wild this weekend at The Elks Ballroom in Bucyrus as the Crawford Theatre Company will be putting on the play “Disney’s The Lion King Jr.”
With the play taking place Dec. 10 and 11, the Crawford Theatre Company held their second-to-final rehearsal Wednesday night, prior to the curtains raising on Saturday. The play is based off of the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor. Directing the Crawford Theatre Company’s production is Matthew Feck. Feck explained what he has enjoyed about directing this play.
“My favorite part about directing the show is the show itself, “The Lion King.” “The Lion King” was the first movie that I had seen in the theaters when I was in first grade, I believe, in the early 1990s. So Disney shows are my favorite,” Feck said.
“The Lion King” is significant, because we are one of the first community theaters in Ohio to be putting this junior show on, so this is new for everyone. Whenever there is a new release we try to do the new releases. So we are happy and proud that we are able to do this and the kids always love the Disney shows,” Feck added.
While he has had fun directing this production, it hasn’t been without its challenges. Feck spoke about those challenges and how the cast has overcome them.
“There are a lot of challenges because we have a lot of first-time people, having a young group who have never done shows. So this is new to most of them, except for a few of the teens you have to teach them everything about the basics,” Feck said. “The thing is with this show we also had a workshop with it, an 18-session workshop. So they got to learn all the basics, and then the final result is the show with the rehearsal process involved.
“Probably the most challenging is just getting their attention, focusing and singing out, but that all comes with experience so they are all getting a lot of experience,” Feck added.
Helping with the production is Crawford Theatre Company owner Betsy Gerhart. Gerhart spoke about the costumes for the play.
“They are not literally supposed to be an animal, they are supposed to imply. So a lot of it I have used as much as I possibly could with African prints, but everybody usually has a tail of some kind,” Gerhart said. “With the girls, instead of having the ears, and losing the ears, they are just wearing their hair up in buns, so it looks like ears. We simplify it, so people will have to envision what they are.”
Playing the parts of Timon and Pumbaa are Abbie Brozwell and Brock Saam. They explained what they enjoyed most about playing their characters.
“With Timon I really get to express my craziness and wildness, and he uses his arms a lot, so it is a lot of fun to portray such a wild character,” Brozwell said.
“My favorite part is to be fun on cast and being with my friends, and playing the part of Pumbaa, and the voice I have is just so courageous,” Saam said.
Playing the part of Rafiki is Baily Dixon. Dixon spoke a little bit about her character and what she enjoys most about performing.
“I like how spunky she is, and how crazy she can be, but she is also very caring for everyone else around her,” Dixon said. “I love meeting new people in every show I am in, and just entertaining people.”
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets are available at MB Subculture, 127 S. Sandusky Ave, Bucyrus, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. For more information call 419-562-0404.
Performances will take place in the Bucyrus Elks Ballroom, 309 E Mansfield St. on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.