On Tuesday, as I took in the enthralling opening 'Circle of Life,' I was most tickled by the baby elephant actress walking down the aisle holding her huge mama's tail, an adorable part of the pageantry that I had forgotten about. I hadn't seen show in more than 14 years, since August 2007, and had first seen 'The Lion King' in its inaugural visit to Cleveland back in 2003. In this story based on the 1994 animated film, which takes place in the Pridelands of the African Savannah, young lion Simba endures great tragedy, goes into exile and must return to assume his rightful place as king. Those seeing the blockbuster for the first time are in for a treat and those making a repeat visit will not be disappointed, as the show's iconic costumes, masks and puppetry are as stunning as ever. Blockbuster thrills first timers, repeat visitors alike 15, makes Cleveland the first city in North America to host 'The Lion King' five times. It was a homecoming in numerous ways, for Northeast Ohio theatergoers and the cast, which reunited in Cleveland last month to relaunch the North American tour after the pandemic shut it down 18 months ago. The pageantry was powerful, just as it has been since the show debuted on Broadway in 1997. But the audience's excitement and love for 'The Lion King' took on a whole new meaning after such a long hiatus, with the enthusiastic Cleveland audience laughing, cheering and later giving a standing ovation at the show's finale.

The audience and I couldn't get enough of Simba and his pals at the State Theatre Tuesday night, where love for the show took on a whole new meaning as the crowd clapped the moment baboon shaman Rafiki intoned her first notes of 'Circle of Life,' drawing a fantastic array of animals onstage and down the aisles of the theater, from amazing giraffes on stilts to graceful gazelles.

What grander way to finally bring musicals back to Cleveland than with the most popular, most massive show on the planet? The awesomeness of it all was almost overwhelming on opening night Tuesday at Playhouse Square as the show's North American tour brought that jolt of in-person color, wonder, magic and excitement that we've all been starving for. Seeing 'The Lion King' at Playhouse Square is a shock to the senses, in the best sense of the phrase, after a bleak 18 months with no live musicals at indoor Northeast Ohio venues.

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