By JESSICA NEU
From the iconic opening lines of “Circle of Life” to the timeless story of Simba’s triumphant ascent to the leader of Pride Rock, Disney’s The Lion King has embedded its way into history since it originally premiered as an animated Disney film in 1994.
After gaining global popularity thanks in part to Elton John’s and Tim Rice’s soundtrack, visionary director Julie Taymor conceptualized a version of The Lion King for Broadway. Partnering with then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Taymor’s The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997 and remains on Broadway to this day.
The beloved musical is returning to Pittsburgh this September as part of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh 2026-27 series.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Zama Magudulela, who plays Rafiki in the current production. A South African native, Magudulela has performed with eight companies of The Lion King in eight different countries. She has also pursued her own solo singing career, appearing on “The Voice” (Spain) and opening for Céline Dion and Johnny Clegg.
Magudulela’s love of singing began at the young age of seven in her hometown of Durban, South Africa. She could not speak English at the time, but she created her own songs without realizing she was composing original music. Magudulela found a home in the school choir. She credits her teachers for recognizing her potential, as she was always singing throughout the school day. In high school, Magudulela began participating in theater, where she realized her creative potential and her call to the arts.
Upon graduation, Magudulela pursued a career in Marketing and found a job in the business sector. However, her love of the arts never waned, and when she received a call from a prominent director and producer seeking Magudulela for an audition, she knew she had to go. “I didn’t even know what an audition was, but I said, let me just go for it,” Magudulela explained. “I went in, and he took me. The minute I started singing with him, I realized that I had never loved anything so much. I knew this was my calling, and I resigned from my job to take a three-week contract. Passion can lead you in that direction.” It was at that time that Magudulela learned of the opportunity to audition for The Lion King. “Again, I had never heard of The Lion King until I auditioned,” Magudulela continued. “I had three auditions in a row and then after the third audition, they took me, and I started in Australia. I had heard of the movie, but I did not know what the show was. I was given the role of covering Rafiki and ensemble. After Australia, I went to China, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, Toronto, and now here (America). I’ve done 5 years of Rafiki and was in the ensemble for three years. I’ve done the show in five different languages (German, Portuguese, French, and English). My mind and focus have never been off of me wanting to do what I love. I am so happy that I am here.”
Magudulela discussed her first impressions of The Lion King, which she had never seen:
“At the time I started auditioning, I went to Blockbuster to rent The Lion King on DVD just to understand the plot. When I first auditioned, I sang a song that was not from the show, and I could not understand why I was not accepted because I sang the song quite fiercely. When I saw the cartoon, I wondered, ‘Am I auditioning for something animated?’ I did not understand that part because I had never seen the musical. However, I was fortunate to have mentors during the audition process who helped me with my song choice, and I eventually booked a spot on the Australian tour.
When I auditioned, I didn’t even understand how the costumes fit into the show. Someone said that a costume was for the lioness and I thought, ‘the lioness?! What in the world did I get myself into?”
Until they pulled me out to watch the show, my God, I didn’t realize that I was performing in such an amazing show. I cried when I saw it from the audience for the first time. Now I understood why people cry for the song “Circle of Life.” It was amazing; it was magnificent!
Seeing the show, I understood how I need to approach it. When you’re performing, you don’t really see the whole show. But when I watched from the audience, everything felt like it was happening magically. One minute you are watching the “Circle of Life,” and then suddenly there are lionesses, and then there is “Be Prepared,” which is Scar’s scene. I was shocked as to how everything can overlap in such a smooth, artistic way. I was shocked to see how magical the show was.”
Magudulela also exuded great pride in bringing her South African roots to the show each night. “South Africans in general are just happy souls,” she said. “We have learned to take things lightly. We laugh even if we are sad. We celebrate everything with dance and music. If I am sad, somebody is going to sing with me and cheer me up. If someone passes, people come to your home and sing a gospel song. More than anything, in everything that we do, we are very much supportive of our culture. I feel like I am connecting with my home through Rafiki. Everything I am doing in the show I am connecting to what I have seen and lived in South Africa. Especially when I am singing in my language, it makes me so connected to my hometown and my country. The Lion King is a show that connects people with South Africa. I’m so grateful that I get to share that with the world when it comes to my language and my dancing. It makes me feel that my country is special in its own way.”
Before concluding our rich discussion surrounding the magic of The Lion King and her sacred South African heritage, Magudulela left her departing thoughts on how the show continues to inspire hope and unity after thirty years of global performances. “We are all human beings in this world. In this show, they don’t just hire South Africans, they hire people from all over the world. That is why the song “Circle of Life” means so much,” she explained. “When we start that song it’s an invitation to bring all creatures from the pride lands and the savannah to unite and celebrate Mufasa’s son being born. Different creatures are surrounding this moment. The Lion King doesn’t restrict any type of culture. That’s why it is done all over the world in different languages. It is not excluding anyone in the world. The show is teaching unity and unity conquers all. When Scar is taking over the pride lands, the unity of the lions coming together defeat him. So, it doesn’t matter where you come from when you’re fighting for what’s right. As long as you are a human being, we are one. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what language you speak, human beings should just stick together as one and love each other without anything that is going to disconnect them. This show on its own brings hope to anyone who is watching. The story line teaches you a lot. It is for the young and the old. Never doubt your passion or your artistic skills. I want to remind everyone who comes to see the show to go out there and spread your creativity around. Follow your heart and love what you do. Your passion is never wrong.”
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Disney’s The Lion King, presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series opens on Wednesday, September 9 and runs through Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the Benedum Center. Learn more.
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Feature Stories, Show Previews
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