Dark Monday • The Lion King

Scenes from the musical 'The Lion King'.

In recent years, it has felt as though Disney was taking over Broadway. In 1994, the first Disney film made the Broadway debut with 'Beauty and the Beast'. The show was a new look at the 1991 hit animated film. The animation to live show transition also made magic for 2006 productions of 'Mary Poppins' and 'Tarzan', 'The Little Mermaid' in 2007, and 'Aladdin' in 2010. Most recently, there was the opening of 'Newsies' in 2012, an adaptation of the live action film. Never a company to rest on their laurels, Disney also has 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', 'The Jungle Book', and 'Frozen' in the works, as well as others, I am sure. When all is said and done, I think it was 'The Lion King' that grabbed much of the attention, what with the use of puppetry and make up to capture the animals of the African dessert. With music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, the show breathes life into the animated musical. Maybe the most well known number from the show and movie is "Circle of Life", the first song of the show, sung by Rafiki and the ensemble. This is a clip from a performanc3e on the Tony Awards.

However, there is also "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?", the song that won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song' for 1994, as well as earning Elton John the Grammy Award for 'Best Male Pop Vocal Performance' for his recording. Elton also went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was on the charts all around the world. In the show, the song is sung by the characters Timon, Pumbaa, Simba, Nala and ensemble. This is "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".

I decided to include a clip of another early song in the production, "The Lioness Hunt". While there are lyrics and singing, I think of it as mostly a dance number, allowing the lioness' in the ensemble to truly shine. You get to see how the production utilized costumes and movement to capture the mood and feel of the African dessert, and bring the audience on this safari. This is "The Lioness Hunt" from 'The Lion King'.

'The Lion King' continues to pack the house on Broadway. To learn more about the production, visit the official website. You can also purchase the Original Broadway Cast Album from iTunes and Amazon. You can also find some great souvenirs from the online store.

Non-Music - Life on the Farm

I live on a family farm, and work at a family-run business. The farm is not crop-oriented, but instead is for horses. My parents built the farm for their own horses, as well as those of some other family members. At one point in time, I had several of my own, having purchased and bred a few. For the past 18 months, I have been horse-less, a true blessing.

Daily life on the farm for me consists mainly of seeing the horses, sometimes in the paddocks, or being ridden. For so long, I went down and worked in my office, doing bookkeeping for the business. Once a week, I also do the payroll for the few workers tending to the horses on the farm.



Today, however, things were a bit different. The one boarding horse, owned by family friends of almost 30 years, was not feeling her best. At 26, she had been fairly healthy. A vet was called, and she was treated. A few hours later, things started to decline. She was struggling a bit with some pain, and another vet was called. After walking with her for a bit, making sure she didn't fall, I was in the stall with her for an hour until the vet arrived. The vet was stunned how quiet she was, saying it was a full-blown colic, and the mare was in great pain. The owner was called, and he decided to spare her any additional pain, and she was euthanized. It was the right decision, for Winnie certainly deserved the humane and respectful treatment.

So quickly, the mare went from lovely creature to the worse nightmare - a life and death decision weighing on the shoulders. It reminds me of the true circle of life, for in that barn we have seen foals brought into the world, as well as treasured horses breathe their last breath.



Winnie had been cared for and loved by her owners of about 20 years. We laid her to rest next to several other horses who have also lived out their lives in the comfort of the farm, as well as a few cherished pets. It made for a long day, with time to think about the others we have lost, including my dear cat, just about a month ago.

I have often thought that horses are beautiful creatures who have been put on the earth to remind us of what is possible, an amazing combination of power, elegance, physics and joy. To see them run in a paddock is magical, or majestic when they are standing still. So I have added the last two photos of a young filly I took last fall, showing all the joy and life, celebrating the beauty of what is to come. They can be so damn inspiring, which makes the loss so much the harder to cope with.