Preview: The Lion King on Broadway at the Hobby Center

When Peter Hargrave signed up for the national tour to play Scar in Disney’s The Lion KingIt was the first time in his acting career that he played an animal.

But this was far from the first time he played a villain. In fact, starting with his role as Gaston in the Disney film The beauty and the Beast What he did years ago in community theater is kind of one of his specialties.

“It’s kind of my lot in life (to play bad guys),” he says with a laugh. “He’s the kind of character that keeps coming back in my life, whether on television or on stage. I think deep down I’m a very empathetic person. I try to find connections between similar adversities and sufferings that the characters I play carry within them, and then I play them honestly as if they were happening to me. That’s kind of the joy of playing villains, they often have complicated backstories that make their complicated decisions make a little more sense to me. I also try to play with a lot of heart. »

Now he’s bringing all those finely honed skills to Broadway at The Hobby where he and 48 other cast members will tell the Tony®-winning story of Simba and the Animals from Pride Rock with the famous masks designed by Julie Taymor and Michael Curry. Scar, of course, is Simba’s jealous and scheming uncle, responsible for the death of Simba’s father Mufasa.

And in keeping with his desire to find something to like or understand why the character he plays is the way he is, Hargrave says: “I don’t agree with what Scar did but I understand his emotional pain.” And he points out: “Scar has a lot of comedic moments.”

Hargrave was born in Oxford, Mississippi, raised in Amarillo and saw The Lion King with his father when he was 11. Passionate, he decided at that moment that he was more than interested in theater; he wanted to be involved. And now he’s touring North America with the show that launched his career.

“For a show to last this long and still be so culturally relevant, to mean so much to you personally and to be involved in it so many years later. You say it’s a dream come true, but I think it’s just a miracle to get on stage every night.”

Growing up, Hargrave did community theater and when he went to Abilene Christian University, his theater experiences accelerated. (He also met his wife Kat, a Sugar Land native and now a talent agent in New York, there.) After earning his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Abilene Christian, he earned his master’s degree in fine arts at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In the years that followed, he performed in several regional theater productions as well as television roles.

The Lion King premiered in 1997 and won Best Musical (and other awards) at the 1998 Tony’s. It has been translated into nine different languages ​​and traveled to countries around the world. Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs in the animated film are among the music that also earned the show the 1999 Grammy ® for Best Musical Show Album.

“It’s because of the puppets that this show has become not only a great musical, but a cultural phenomenon. And each one has a unique challenge: marrying their human movements with those of the animals. That was a very intentional decision on the part of Julie Taymor and Michael Curry, our original director and puppet designer,” Hargrave says.

“They leave a lot of work to the artist and the public. They want you to participate in creation. They leave all the wires very visible. They have something they call the “double event”. You want to look at the animal but also at the face of the human who is making the puppet movement. This is very intentional. It made our jobs as actors, dancers and singers much easier. Having such iconic puppetry and costume design behind our work every night,” says Hargrave.

“I have so many images from the show etched in my memory. It’s part of that very nostalgic story that everyone loves, whether it’s from the animated movie or from seeing the show years ago. It’s one of those incredible stories that means something different to you as a child and as an adult. It’s such a spiritual story.”

Different ages receive the show’s message in different ways, Hargrave explains.

“The adversity created in our show is somewhat scary (for children). But I think what children experience most of all is the potential of what a life can become. Seeing Simba go from this prince which is sort of immature and I just maybe want to have the power to be king to understand the responsibility of that.

“We say the Circle of Life happens on stage every night and it also happens in the audience. We have the privilege of playing in front of a lot of people who are seeing it for the first time, but we also have the privilege of playing in front of a lot of people who have had their first theatrical experience with The Lion King and they bring their child, or their niece, their nephew, or their grandchild, to give the gift of the community aspect of theater and also the show that is the No. 1 musical in the world. It’s an irreplaceable gift and such a privilege to be a part of every party.

Performances are scheduled from July 11 to August 4 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-2525 or visit thehobbycenter.org or broadwayatthehobbycenter.com. $35-$140.