Disney's The Lion King is Coming to Milwaukee so Here's A Look into One of the Actresses
It was almost 23 years ago when The Lion King musical debuted and now it’s one of the biggest musicals in the world. Starting next month on Feb. 5 for four weeks, The Lion King musical will grace the stage of the Marcus Performing Arts Center.
According to a press release, since its debut, The Lion King has performed in nine different languages: English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese. The show has played in over 100 cities in 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica.
Nala and Simba. (Picture provided by Disney)
To be a part of The Lion King is a dream come true for some, such as Chante Carmel who plays Sarabi, is the understudy for Nala and the replacement for Shenzi.
Carmel says every day of rehearsal is different, depending on the character she’s portraying. According to Carmel, Nala requires a lot of jumping, Shenzi requires hunching over and Sarabi has a lot of assembly work.
With an extensive background in acting and singing, Carmel said she’s sacrificed so much to do what she loves. Carmel has appeared in the hit TV show “A Different World”, Motown the Musical and more.
“It is not without sacrifice. The artists in the show sacrifice everyday to maintain their mental and physical health,” she said.
Instead of partying and hanging out with friends, Carmel usually spends her nights sleeping in to prepare for her early mornings. And, her mornings immediately start with her warming up her vocals.
To save her voice, she chooses not to speak much when she wakes up.
Some may think Carmel’s dedication to her job is strange, but it’s just what comes with the game. Every decision Carmel makes is determined by how or if it will affect her work.
“You are constantly thinking about your job all the time,” Carmel said. “I have to keep a very narrow focus to stay focused on a goal.”
“You have to be willing to give everything if you want it,” she added.
Chantel Carmel. (Picture provided by Chantel Carmel)
All of the sacrifice is worth it once the lights go down and the performance starts.
“The faces of the children in the audience…you can literally see change happening [even in] adults as well,” Carmel said about when the crew goes to engage with the crowd during the show. “It’s literally Disney magic.”
With all of the years she’s spent on stage, Carmel wants people to know that there’s more opportunities in theater than just being on stage.
Growing up, Carmel didn’t know what a stage manager or grip was, but now she sees and understands how important the backstage crew is.
“There’s so many ways you can be involved in musical theater,” Carmel said. “It’s not just on stage where the magic happens.”
She encourages people to ask questions because you can’t go for something that you don’t know exist.
Through her endless hard work, Carmel says she has reached success.
“Success is being able to do what you love every day [and] I get to do that every day,” said Carmel. “I get to tell a beautiful story…a story I believe in.”
To purchase tickets to The Lion King, click here.
