Visitors amaze, delight children
Somehow his mandatory appointment at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital didn’t seem so bad for Coltor Myers on Tuesday.
On this particular morning, the 5-year-old leukemia patient from Missoula chatted it up with Rafiki the baboon and Shenzi the hyena as 11 cast members from “The Lion King” paid a visit.
“We picked a good day to come,” Coltor said as he looked up to his proud mother, Alicia Myers. “I’ve heard them sing on TV.”
Coltor, diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in April, was one of the children who asked questions, answered questions and were thoroughly entertained by the out-of-costume actors working in Spokane during the Broadway musical’s six-week run. Some of the patients were treated to an a cappella version of the lioness’ chant. Gugwana Dlamini, a South African actor who plays Rafiki, also belted out the familiar opening lyrics of “Circle of Life” to the amazement of the children and delight of hospital employees.
The show’s six-week run ends on Dec. 4. Although the hospital patients will not likely see a performance at the Spokane Opera House, they showed their universal knowledge of the story by answering the actors’ questions. The animated movie version was released in 1994, and the Broadway play opened in 1997.
“It really feels good for us to have so many questions asked,” said Shaullanda LaCombe, who plays Shenzi, whose voice was provided by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie. “They love the show so much.”
Dlamini, LaCombe and more than 100 actors, musicians and crew members have been in Spokane for more than two weeks for what is being billed as Spokane’s longest running theatrical event. Spokane followed tour stops in Tempe, Ariz.; Costa Mesa and Sacramento, Calif.; Chicago; and Portland.
Every city brings audiences with different personalities. Although Spokane audiences have not been the hootin’ and hollerin’ types, LaCombe praised the theatergoers for their receptiveness.
“It’s amazing,” said LaCombe, whose husband has been exceptionally busy working the Disney merchandise store at the Opera House. “In the opening, I’m dressed as an elephant, and I’m right up near the audiences’ faces. You can see the amazement in their faces.”
LaCombe said one of the biggest compliments tossed her way came from an Opera House worker.
“She couldn’t have been more than this tall,” LaCombe said, holding her hand no higher than 5 feet from the floor. And she said to me, ‘If I had my wish, I’d play the meanest hyena in the play!’ “