Windsor Farm Elementary To Present “The Lion King”

By Maya Pottiger

Let us hear your roar! Windsor Farm Elementary is putting on “The Lion King” as its spring musical.

The cast features Alyx Stamp as Scar; Andrew Luisi as Simba; Mary Allen Smith as Nala; Bella Emery as Timon; Addy Russell as Pumbaa; and Gavin Douglas as Mufasa.

“The Lion King” follows the Disney movie but doesn’t emphasize Mufasa’s death as intensely, said special education teacher Lucy Harris, who is producing the show.

In addition to Harris, a handful of Windsor Farm teachers are helping with the production: Sherri Ugolini is directing; Jeanie Harris is co-directing; Nicole Hughes is arranging choreography; Sarah Humphrey is arranging vocals; and Kelly Alperstein and Kristi Coopersmith are assisting during rehearsals.

There are 60 students acting in the show, 20 involved in the tech work and another 15 students from the art club who helped make the sets.

“Our Pride Rock is in construction, and it’s going to be really, really cool,” Harris said. “It’s going to be a versatile piece where it’s going to be Pride Rock, but you can flip it around and have stairs to be just another piece on the set, as well, for in the jungle.”

The art students are also creating pieces that look like rib cages for the elephant graveyard where the hyenas hang out.

Harris highlighted that the students involved in the show are from all different backgrounds.

“What we end up seeing is a lot of kids who come out are students who don’t really have the arts as a hobby outside of school,” Harris said. “This is a thing that students have tried out for on a whim and ended up shining and getting lead roles out of it.”

Andrew, who plays Simba, spends his free time playing baseball and T-ball, Harris said. After he was cast as Aladdin last year, he auditioned this year to land another leading role.

Windsor Farm will showcase three performances of “The Lion King.” The first showing is a school-wide performance on Thursday, May 30. There are two performances open to the public: Friday, May 31, at 6:30pm and Saturday, June 1, at 2:00pm. Tickets are $5 and must be purchased from Windsor Farm Elementary in advance. Tickets are not available online or at the door.