At one point in the abbreviated process of staging the elaborate, newly released version of Disney's The Lion King, Jr, featuring not one, but two complete casts featuring more than 130 young thespians, NewArts Summer Musicals Director Michael Unger realized that the gamble of attempting such a theatrical feat was paying off — especially for all those actors, singers and dancers.

“I think the experience gave these kids — from the tiniest little giraffe to the people with the largest roles — a feeling like they were so much a part of this amazing event,” Mr Unger told The Newtown Bee following the closing performance. “I was getting emails from the parents saying things like, ‘my kid woke up today and said it was the most important day of their life.’ And this from someone who had a tiny part.”

He heard from another parent about how one of the youngest cast members became gleeful when she started seeing production posters all over town before the show opened.

“She thought she was famous,” Mr Unger said. “So I feel like we really succeeded in giving these kids the identity, confidence, and sense of community that we strive for in these productions. And I was thrilled at how beautifully the production turned out.”

The second of two NewArts musicals was among the first of this children’s production to be staged anywhere, since Disney had just released the rights for amateur companies when Mr Unger jumped at the opportunity to produce the show in Newtown. It ran at the Newtown High School auditorium August 6-9, with the “Zulu” and “Swahili” casts each having three performances.

The director was also proud to see the student assistants who shadowed professional set, lighting and sound designers on the first NewArts summer musical, Liberty Smith (five shows of the historical musical were presented at the same venue, July 31-August 2), stepping up to take on those responsibilities themselves for Lion King, Jr.

He credited Mitchell Girgasky on lights, Lindsay Fuori on sets, and Sean Sonntag on sound, as well as costume shop supervisor Caity Mulkearns for her NewArts debut as costume designer.

Mr Unger said the Zulu cast was most challenged because the show was set to open a day sooner than in previous years, shortening the pre-production schedule and forcing him to turned the final dress rehearsal into a final tech rehearsal with numerous stops.

“But the opening night was flawless — even shocking — at how smoothly it ran,” he said. “And I think that when people work together like these kids did, they can make anything happen.”

The Swahili cast, Mr Unger said, was also excellent and he appreciated how supportive all the actors were to each other between the two companies.

“It was so exciting and impressive with this and all the Newtown double casts, how they all came together, there was no competition, and they’re completely unique in their interpretations,” he said. “I didn’t ask them to be like the others — I let them feel like they all owned their own characters — which they do. And Swahili had just as spectacular an opening.”

The director also revealed that Lion King, Jr was the most successful musical to date, in terms of putting patrons in seats along with bringing in new patrons who were not directly related to cast or crew members.

“I feel like we got a lot of people there who just came out to see a show,” Mr Unger said. “It was a viable entertainment alternative for some of them, which has been my goal all along — to try and change the perception that this company is more than just about the kids in the show. Word of mouth was definitely happening because you could see the ticket sales just escalate between the opening and closing performances.

“We had our best year yet.”