www.broadwayworld.com: Broadway has officially been experiencing the circle of life for 22 years because today is the anniversary of the Disney hit musical The Lion King! To celebrate, we're taking you backstage to see what it takes to transform into one of Broadway's nastiest villains. Head to the Pridelands with the video below for a look at Broadway's Scar, Stephen Carlile, getting into character at the Minskoff Theatre!
3 comments:
I feel like Disney should find a way to do a special performance with at least a cast singing the show on Antarctica just so that they can say’s been on literally every continent. If any company can do it, Disney can definitely afford it. The video with actor Stephen Carlile is amazing though. His stories of making the role of his own, and his audition process, and the work that goes into keep the show “Fresh” despite being around for 22 years are super informative and great to hear. Him discussing the costume and how he has to break in new parts of it because they are tight any time they come in is great to think about because it’s not something I think of as actors having to do—breaking in a costume like a pair of shoes. Though for a role as physical as Carlile describes it makes sense. What’s really cool is how fast the make up goes on. Just a few minutes in the chair and then he’s off. That’s a sign off true professionals who know what they’re doing and how to get in, get out, and get the show going.
I don't often like the Broadway World articles because a lot of times it feels like it provides really surface level information, but I clicked on this one because I realized that for as well known and long running as The Lion King musical is, I have never seen the costume/makeup for Scar. I think the personality that is conveyed in the eyebrows and mouth positions is so amazing because even when the actor is holding his face in a pretty relaxed expression you get the sarcastic and conniving look that Scar is known for. Makeup is such a powerful force in theater because the face is often where people's eyes are drawn to, especially if the other elements of the production aren't as eye catching. Though it takes a lot of time before each show, putting actors in a well thought out face of makeup can almost as much for their character as the most elaborate costuming. Anyways, I think Scar's makeup is really fantastic and I think the fact that he isn't used in the advertising of the show gives it a nice surprise factor for people that still have never seen a professional production of this musical.
I had a chance to shadow Lion King while it was in Pittsburgh and its honestly one of the most amazing shows to see come to life. The show itself is a war horse and it really demonstrates the power of a long running show because it still resonates with so many audiences. From the cast changes, to the tons and tons of people that go around the country, jump from tour to tour working on this show, its only fitting that Scar has such a beautifully crafted routine. Most of it's done using a mask, but the makeup portion of the costume is artfully crafted to create the entire character of Scar, as opposed to just creating a lion face. The way that the actors face functions in this scenario is pretty cool, and truly shows how the Lion King has continually set the industry standard for artistry and technology on Broadway.
Post a Comment