A
few weeks ago, I checked-off one of the items on my “bucket list,” that list of
things we want to do before we die. I
don’t think I have a particularly long list, and it’s probably not all that
adventurous (though landing on and taking off from an aircraft carrier is on
there). One item that had been there for
several years, though, was to see the Broadway production of THE LION KING. When the touring version stopped in OKC, I
finally had my chance!
I’d
wondered for a long time just how a stage production could reproduce an
animated movie. It seemed to me that
some things that could be animated just simply couldn’t be reproduced “live and
in-person.” As the show began, it
quickly became clear that the secret to the stage production’s world-wide
success was precisely that those in charge DIDN’T try to reproduce the
film. Instead, they created an
incredible stage version based on the
same story that inspired the film.
By utilizing techniques suited specifically to the stage (rather than to
film), creators put together a world-class production.
Now,
to be sure, there were some common characters, musical elements, and so
on. Even those, though, were reformatted
to fit the context of the stage. New
music was added, sets/scenes were reimagined, even some characters were
reinvented or created. What didn’t
change, though, was the basic underlying story that inspired the wildly
successful film – a story told by animals that was, ultimately, a very human
story of life, death, commitment, and community.
Well,
that got me to wondering. Are there
times in my life when I try to replicate a method, rather than retelling the
story, times when I am more intent on reproducing an experience rather than
re-sharing a message? I quickly came to
the conclusion that, in fact, I have done that very thing on many occasions.
When
I stubbornly try to recreate a family holiday experience or tradition, rather
than being open to new and fresh ways to celebrate the season (ways, perhaps,
better suited to current circumstances), do I not miss the real blessings of
the holiday? If I insist that the only
“genuine” or “real” worship is that worship rendered in the style I know and
prefer, am I not confusing the method with the message?
Now,
some people prefer a movie over a stage production, and that’s fine. But if my circumstances in life have changed,
if the world has changed, and I find myself onstage rather than in a movie
theater (metaphorically speaking), what do I accomplish – for myself, or for those around me – by
insisting that we try to recreate the movie?
While I may miss the “golden age” of movies, to insist that the new
production forego its own innate strengths in an attempt make it something it
is not will frustrate both me and those who enjoy live theater. And the story, the message, will be lost in
the process.
The
Broadway version of THE LION KING is a
beautiful work of art, not because it reproduces the movie that preceded it,
but because it is an exceptional stage production that conveys a powerful
story. So, too, the movie is exceptional
because it so effectively uses cinematic tools and techniques to effectively
share the same powerful story. May I be
sure to use every tool, every method, every technique at my disposal – here and
now – not to replicate an experience, but to convey a powerful message.
#message #holidays #worship #movies #stage
