With just two days until opening night of Disney’s Lion King Jr, NewArts Summer Musicals Director Michael Unger was zooming around the Newtown High School auditorium so busily, it was as though there were three of him.

One moment he’s up on stage advising his tech crew on how to precisely line up several massive moving panels that serve as important set pieces for his productions this year; the next, he’s at a work station set up in the center of the audience checking an email; and moments later, he’s in the rear of the house, welcoming back a cast member who just returned from the doctor, sporting a brand new arm cast.

With the first of his two productions, the comedic historical musical Liberty Smith, behind him, Mr Unger can only momentarily revel in the glow of fabulous reviews and loads of positive feedback from the hundreds of ticket buyers who enjoyed the show over the July 31 weekend, including First Selectman Pat Llodra.

And while that production, with its complex costuming, makeup, choreography and staging, was nothing short of challenging, this week’s double cast production of Disney’s The Lion King, Jr featuring more than 130 actors, is keeping Mr Unger and his Broadway and Broadway-caliber production team on their toes.

“With a double cast, it obviously multiplies the complexities by two,” Mr Unger told The Newtown Bee during an afternoon rehearsal August 4. “There are a lot of physical elements to this show — the set [presents] the same challenges as Liberty Smith in that we have these six huge sliders that each require a set technician, we’ve got a full stage turntable going, and then helping 130 kids getting around back stage.”

The director has raised the bar substantially since last summer’s double cast of 101 Dalmatians, The Musical, which he said had a much lower frequency of full chorus integration.

“The ensemble, which started a few weeks late, appears a lot more — they have a lot more music to learn and a lot more choreography, which makes it more complicated,” the director said.

The Newtown production of this “junior” sized but no less expansive is among the first to be staged anywhere since the Disney organization began releasing performance rights last spring.

“I can’t tell you where we are in the roster, but we’re one of the early ones and no amateur school groups have done The Lion King, Jr before this spring,” he added.

Mr Unger encourages community members to come out and enjoy the “great community experience” that the musical provides.

“The more people we can pack into this auditorium to infect with joy, the more we’ll be able to expand that to the rest of the community as well,” Mr Unger said.

“We have proven with this show and all the ones before it that this is viable theater. The production values are high because the entire production team is made up of professionals, and there’s the added benefit of supporting The 12.14 Foundation and these kids,” he added. “We’d like to see them all be able to enjoy this experience year-round as we work toward our goal of developing a permanent performing arts center in Newtown.”

Disney’s The Lion King Jr will be performed on Thursday and Friday, August 6-7, at 7 pm; Saturday, August 8, at 2 and 7 pm; and Sunday, August 9, at noon and 5 pm.

Tickets for all performances are $15 to $25 each. For tickets, visit newartsct.org or call 352-639-2787. All performances are at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road.