Press Release
The Emery High Theatre Department will present its final play of the year “The Lion King Jr.” the musical. The performance is set for the Emery High auditorium on April 26, 27, 28 at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for students, and children 5 and under are free. Elementary students will also be able to get a “$1 off” coupon at their elementary schools.
“The Lion King Jr.” is based upon the popular animated Disney musical but is a live action musical play. It is the story of a young lion, Simba, who loses his lion king father, Mufasa, and then has to defeat his uncle, Scar, to meet his destiny and become the new lion king.
The play involves over 30 students. Mufasa is David White and Sarabi, his wife, is September Faucett. Simba is played by two actors, Allen and Taylor Durrant, two brothers. Nala, Simba’s love interest, is Madison McCandless and Kaylee Durrant and Brooklyn Potter. Simba’s best friends, a warthog named Pumbaa and a meerkat named Timone, are played by Ethan Anderson and Parker Stilson, respectively.
Jonathan Seely is Scar. Rafiki, a mystical monkey, and Zazu, the King’s right hand bird, are Cambrie Bennett and Abby Blackwell. Jace Collard, Jordynn Wolford and Dayton Lytle are the Hyenas Bahnzi, Shenzi and Ed. With elephants, gazelles, zebras, hippos, cheetahs and a pride of lionesses, the play has a very full cast of animals, these include MaKenna Bennett, James Clark, Cally Cordner, Kristine Cox, Kaydee Deto, Randy Dixon, Haley Guymon, Megan Hess, Kelsey Hulse, Tia Hulse, Ashly Leffler, Anthony Reid and Brynne Urie.
This final production for the year is a play suitable for both adults and children.
The production is directed by Neal Peacock with Marilee Cox as musical director and Shala Hunsaker as assistant director and vocal coach. This is the same team that earlier in the year produced “Legally Blonde,” “ELF” and “Broadway in the Desert.” The play runs just under 90 minutes with an intermission.
Thursday night will be Cold Stone night as ColdStone Ice Cream of Price will be donating free ice cream cups for all of the elementary age and younger children for intermission.
This play will mark the 195th play in Neal Peacock’s 35 year career and his 52nd musical. “The Lion King Jr.” is entirely produced from the musical theatre class that is new to Emery High this year and requires an audition to be able to be in this course. However, “The Lion King Jr.” will also feature members of the Emery High cheerleading squad that will be appearing and dancing as gazelle. Their dances will be choreographed by Dariyan Nielson.