Disney Theatrical Productions, along with the Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Shubert Organization, celebrates the eagerly-awaited return engagement of Disney’s The Lion King! For more than 20 years, the North American touring productions of The Lion King have been
seen by over 21 million theatergoers. Having already played more than 9,000 performances in
over 90 cities across North America, The Lion King returns to Philadelphia, at the Academy of Music, from August 16th to September 10th.
Below, ensemble member Eric Bean, Jr. talks about his time at Philadelphia’s University of Arts as well as a couple dance companies in our city. He highlights how his education and experience in Philly helps him in his current roles, and takes us through a day in the life of a cast member.
Q: Why did you decide to attend Philadelphia’s University of the Arts? And what did you study there?
A: Though I currently live and work in the states, I am originally from the island of Bermuda and spent most of my childhood there. During my first year of secondary school, I had the opportunity to audition for a government sponsored summer program called the Bermuda Youth Theatrical Traveling Road Show. The program took a small group of participants and developed an original 90-minute theatrical production (that blended singing, dancing, and acting) and presented it as a free public performance each weekend in a different area of the island during the month of July. To my surprise, I managed to snag a lead role in the production! This led to a scholarship the following year to attend United Dance Productions, where I began my formal training under the tutelage of Suzette Harvey (JP, MP); the studio’s founder, artistic director, and an alumnus of University of the Arts!
Ms. Harvey saw my potential and passion for dance, and began to mentor me. She eventually offered me an opportunity to perform as an apprentice with the Bermuda Dance Company where we presented a joint program with the dancers and faculty of UArts. That experience led to my receiving a scholarship to attend the UArts “world of dance” summer program the following year during which I fell in love with the city and the amazing faculty and knew that this was where I needed to be. The rest is, as they say, history!
Q: You also performed with a few Philadelphia dance companies- Eleone Dance Theater and Koresh Dance. How did your time with those companies prepare you for The Lion King?
A: My time with Koresh Dance Company played a great deal in shaping me into the artist I have become today. Roni (artistic director) is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant and inventive choreographers of our time. He taught be the power of intention and the importance of honesty in my movement. In the world of musical theatre, this idea is paramount because the movement we create is often designed to help propel the story being told. As a ‘swing’ in the show, I cover a large variety of roles. Each with their own unique movement vocabulary. Sometimes, these movements can feel a bit ‘alien’ when first learning the show. But Koresh helped me develop my ability to translate movement to ‘visual language’ in a way that, I hope, provides the audiences with the clear intention of each character I play.
As a member of Eleone Dance Theater, I had the opportunity to develop my artistry while also in pursuit of my degree at the University. As we would often rehearse solely on the weekends in preparation for our touring engagements and home season, the company instilled in me a work ethic and movement style that is both efficient and adaptive; as it was not uncommon for us to learn a contemporary ballet one week and a piece centered around swing and the ‘Lindy Hoop’ the next! As a young and developing artist, both Shawn-Lamere Williams (artistic director) and Dara Stevens-Meredith (rehearsal director) taught me the importance, connection, and value of dance; and the integral role it plays in our heritage as POCs. A sentiment I now live everyday as a member of The Lion King; a show steeped in African heritage, culture, and legacy.
Q: Tell us what The Lion King means to you. Why did you want to be a part of this show? What’s your earliest memory of the movie/musical?
A: I am a Disney kid at heart (I had dreams of joining the Mickey Mouse Club when I was 8 years old)! So having the opportunity to be in not only a Disney production, but The Lion King, still blows my mind. I remember that when the film came out, my mom took me to see it in theaters and I was instantly hooked on the music. Once we got the VHS (OMG- am I showing my age?!), I watched it so often that it eventually just stopped working! Fast forward a few years later and I see the Broadway company’s performance of “Circle of Life” on the Tony Awards and I was floored. At the time, I didn’t even realize that dance as a career was an option (I thought everyone involved were strictly actors or singers). So, I couldn’t even imagine a world where I would one day be one of the performers in such an iconic show. So, for me, The Lion King represents possibility. Not only as a performer of color, but also a creator who aspires to eventually move into the realm of choreography, show creation, and show development for both film and stage!
Q: What does a typical show day look like for you? Any routines or a “must do” before taking the stage?
A: What many people may not know is that, even though our show is up and going, we are regularly in rehearsals to both maintain the show and teach the show to new (or current) cast members who will be going into the production in a new role. As a swing, I am often involved in these rehearsals to provide an extra body and “support” for these actors during their learning process.
So, a typical day for me often begins at 9am with a hearty breakfast followed by a workout and/or yoga session. As I do a wide variety of characters, I have found that cross training is the best way to keep my body ready for any role I may have to jump into for any given performance! From there, if it is a rehearsal day, I will head into the theatre around 12:30pm for a session with either our dance supervisor, resident director, or music director for 1 to 4 hours (depending on what is being worked on) and finish around 4:45pm. After that I will typically grab myself a ‘late lunch’ – and relax a little bit before heading back to the theatre for our 1-hour call time. Once there, I do a short 30 minute warm up – either a ballet barre or one of the group warm-ups the cast organize and rotate teaching – and then prepare for the show!
If I am “on” that evening, I will grab my mic, get my make up done, and throw on my costume for the top of circle! If I am not scheduled to perform that evening, I will watch the opening from the Front of House (because it always brings me such joy to see the audience reactions) and then head back stage to do school work (I’m in graduate school getting my masters in Arts & Cultural Management!) and continue to be on “standby” in case they need me to jump into the show. The evening typically ends with a hot shower or bath (depending on how beat up I feel haha), a tasty meal, some tea, and relaxation before I pass out and start it all over again!
Though this is an example of a “full” day as a swing, there are plenty of instances where my day is much lighter and I can just “hang out” and explore the city before the show! I don’t want to scare off any future artists considering the tour life!
Q: Is there a specific message or song in The Lion King that you want the audience to pay attention to?
A: There are so many wonderful messages in the show that deal with perseverance, family, and community. One song that I have found particularly powerful, especially given the current political climate of intolerance and “othering” is the opening of act II – “One By One.” This song speaks to the power of the community and how anything and everything is possible if you work together to change hearts and minds “one by one.” It is one of my favorite songs in the show because it is the first time we as the cast are seen as our “human” selves and feels like the epidemy of cultural connection and community; as the song is primarily in the Zulu language. It is also sung completely acapella!
Q: What are you excited to do or see while you’re back in Philly?
A: I am excited to once again be immersed in the cultural heritage and art available around the city! It is one of the things that drew me Philadelphia for my studies and is, by far, my favorite thing about the city still! I’m also a bit of a foodie, so I am pumped to stuff my face at some of my old haunts (El Vez and Ms. Tootsie’s), try some of the new offerings!
Tickets on sale now at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org and in-person at the box office.
Philadelphia RowHome Magazine's Blog 