The Lion King 3D World Premiere!
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| When I first saw Disney's The Lion
King, the spunky lions, the catchy songs, and the beautiful
animation made me an instant fan. I liked the movie so much
that I named the adorable cat that I adopted from my local
animal shelter "Nala," after Simba's best friend. And so I was
beyond excited when I won two tickets to attend the World Premiere of
The Lion King 3D at
the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. My formal invitation letter listed the attire as "Hakuna Matata" ("no worries" in Lion King lingo), so, I pulled on a summery dress and headed, with a friend, to the El Capitan Theatre. The theater marquee announced "The Lion King 3D World Premiere." Large backdrops featuring images from the movie and Lion King 3D movie posters lined the red carpet area. Reporters, camera operators, and photographers, one atop a ladder, stood along the barricade. |
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| At the will call tent at
the end of the carpet, I handed my photo ID to a cheerful woman seated
at the table, and she presented me with an envelope; inside were our tickets. Security officers directed us to the red carpet, which, in this case, wasn't red at all. Thick green "grass" lined the route to the theater. I could feel the soft blades tickle the sides of my feet as I walked along. |
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| Reporters interviewed actors Adam Irigoyen (Shake it Up!),
Niketa Calame (who voiced "Young Nala" in The Lion King),
and Gilles Marini (Sex and the City, Brothers & Sisters),
while cameras captured the action. VIP guests mingled. At
the end of the carpet, Rafiki and Timon greeted the VIPs and
celebrities. Inside the theater, the concession stands offered complimentary tubs of warm, tasty popcorn and bottles of soda, juice, and water. We chose our refreshments and picked out our seats. The El Capitan Theatre originally opened in 1926 and has been beautifully restored. The auditorium reminded me of that of a Broadway theater. An organist entertained the audience with a selection of Disney music, until he and his organ disappeared by slowly dropping into the stage. The lights dimmed. We donned our 3D glasses. When the first note of the song, "Circle of Life," was heard, the audience erupted in applause and cheers. The audience would erupt twice more, for the opening and the closing 3D title cards that simply read "The Lion King." In between, children and adults giggled, and some tears were shed. Once again, I was engaged by the lions and their friends, especially by the touching relationship of young Simba with his father, Mufasa. The movie was just as good as I remembered it, and the 3D effect added to the fun, especially in the scenes with the flying birds and the falling rain. |
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| When we stepped out from the comfortably cool theater into
the Southern California summer sun, the green carpet
and all of its accouterments had already been packed up into
large trucks. My friend and I headed home full of a happy Hakuna Matata feeling! |
I did this on August 27th, 2011, in Hollywood, California, USA. |
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jen is also known as J.W. Lynne, a best selling author of eleven novels. Click on any of the titles below to see the book on Amazon! THE UNKNOWN: Eight kids learn the shocking reason why they were kidnapped. ABOVE THE SKY: A girl lives in a world where touching her soulmate is forbidden. THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE: A teen is locked in a bunker to take a simulated trip to the moon. KID DOCS: An experimental program turns kids into doctors. WILD ANIMAL SCHOOL: A girl falls in love with a boy at an exotic animal ranch. IF I TELL: A teen wonders if her father is a serial killer. WHAT HE DIDN'T TELL ME: A traumatized girl meets a boy with a horrible secret. Besides reading books and dreaming up stories to write, Jen's favorite activities are singing along to musical theater soundtracks and hiking in California's beautiful parks. **Jen's books are available on Kindle Unlimited.** |
You might also enjoy: Jen's Disney bucket list Jen's review of the premiere and afterparty of Finding Dory Jen's review of the premiere of Disney's Frozen Top ten things you need to know before you hit the red carpet Top seven things to know if you're going to a movie premiere without a ticket |