The Lion King

A Note from Bill

I served as resident director of Disney’s The Lion King on its first national tour, directing the Cheetah Company.

I come from a background that has often incorporated puppetry, mask work, opera, and movement. I had studied Julie Taymor’s work from afar and wanted to learn from her creation. I had been in conversations with Disney for many years, and for a variety of reasons the timing was never quite right.

So, when this opportunity presented itself, I wanted to explore the material, knowing I was preparing to step away from my assisting and caretaking work. I wanted to study how the show worked. I wanted to see firsthand how Eastern, Western, and South African traditions came together from the inside on one of Broadway’s greatest creations.

I was mentored by the incredible Anthony Lynn.

Guiding a company of this scale on the road, night after night and city after city, was a masterclass in sustaining a work’s integrity while keeping it alive and breathing for every new audience.

I also learned a valuable lesson: caring for a work you helped create is different from caring for one you did not. The sense of ownership and artistic truth is not the same.

The Lion King remains an example of musical theatre artistry at the highest level, and I will forever be grateful for all I experienced and learned during my days in the Pridelands.