Watermark’s 2015 Orlando Fringe Reviews: The Lion Queen and the Naked Go-Go Cub

Michael Wanzie dominated Fringe nine years ago with what has become the best selling show in the festival’s 24 year history, selling out pretty much every single performance.

So why not bring it back? I mean, Hawaiian shirts are not cheap, right Wanzie?

This version of the “Lion Queen and the Naked Go-Go Cub” has a newly written sound-a-like orchestration, complimenting the original music of The Lion King Broadway show and the movie it was based on, the new music had enough changes to avoid any potential lawsuits, this is an on-going joke throughout the show.

The show centers around a little lion cub named Timba, who’s a little light in the paws for his father Mukaka. His uncle Star, a bitter older queen, is jealous that Timba is next in line for the throne and, knowing the tension between father and son, sets up a plan to do away with the two lions who stand in the way of his plans to be king.

This sets up Timba on a journey of self-discovery and eventually meeting a slew of sidekicks and finally the deliciously oily box dancing naked Go-Go Cub that steals Timba’s heart.

This is one of the many gay-themed shows at the Fringe that revolve around the Stonewall Riots. The show offers a pro-LGBT movement message, packed with some Fringe veteran powerhouse performances and quite possibly one of the biggest stage productions for what is typically great, economic theatre. With what felt like more character development and better tuned plot, this version of the “Lion Queen” is a great improvement to what was an already fun Wanzie production and you got to love a Fringe show that includes audience participation.

“The Lion Queen and the Naked Go-Go Cub” is playing at the Orange Venue at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre.

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