‘Lion King’ performer takes pride in touring with long-running show

In his three years with the North American touring company of “The Lion King,” Darian Sanders has worked his way from the ensemble to the lead role of Simba. But he says he still enjoys watching new ensemble members get comfortable with playing hyenas and other animals in Simba’s kingdom.

“I watch other people learn it, and that reconnects me with the beauty of it, especially considering how many people have come through the show,” Sanders says.

“The Lion King” made its Broadway debut in 1998, and the North American touring company has been on the road since 2002, albeit going dark during the pandemic. Broadway San Jose is presenting the show Aug. 3-21 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.

Based on the 1994 animated Disney movie, the stage version relies on the Tony-winning masks and puppets created by Julie Taymor to help the actors bring the animals to life. In the song “Circle of Life,” two actors trained in stilt-walking operate two 14-foot-tall giraffes by climbing 6-foot ladders to fit inside the puppets and mounting stilts.

“It’s mesmerizing to understand all the work that went into creating the puppets and to watch them work and see what they do.” Sanders says. “The stilt walkers are amazing to me. I wish I could do it.”

While Sanders says he’s struck by “the artistry of what we get to do every night,” he adds that he has had to adjust to wearing Simba’s headpiece and “figure out how to move with the extra weight on my head.”

But these adjustments are minor for someone who admits to being obsessed with the “Lion King”—both the stage version and the original animated film—to the point where he named his dog Nala after Simba’s love interest.

“I’ve loved lions my whole life,” Sanders says. “It’s exciting to be back doing live theater with a show that has stood the test of time.”

While life on the road can sometimes be isolating, Sanders and other cast members are able to have their families with them during the tour.

“My wife and son come on and off the road with me,” says the Kentucky-based performer. “We’re a family-friendly show and company. There are different couples out here together and different families.

“Everyone knows and understands who has families, and they respect that inside and outside the theater,” Sanders adds. “We have kids in the cast, so that informs it because they can’t be out here by themselves.