No. 12. “He Lives in You (Reprise)”
THE LION KING (1997). By Elton John (music), Tim Rice (lyrics), and Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi (book). Additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer.
December 1997. You’ve entered a newly re-opened Broadway theater in a recently de-sleazed Times Square to see the latest Disney musical. The lights come up on Rafiki, a baboon but also a sort of witch doctor with stylized makeup. As she starts to sing “The Circle of Life,” a huge paper sun rises from the stage. Then two giraffes—actor/puppetts hunched over on stilts—slowly enter in front of the rising sun, and it’s a stunning image. Soon other animals—gazelles, birds, a friggin’ elephant!—start entering from the wings and down the aisles. But there’s no fur on the stage—all animals are created with a mix of masks, puppetry, and African apparel that allows the characters to be fully human. And the puppetry is nothing like the Muppets—these are ingenious creations with visible operators capable of expressive movement. The production follows the popular movie closely, but the score is supplemented by additional music with lively choral arrangements that help turn the evening into a celebration of African culture. In Act 1, Mufusa (the king of Pride Rock) sings “They Live in You” to teach young Simba (his impatient son) about the spiritual ancestors that guide them through generations. By Act 2, Scar (Mufasa’s jealous brother) has killed the king, and Simba has grown to adulthood in exile. Rafiki finds Simba and encourages him to return to Pride Rock to defeat Scar signing “He Lives in You (Reprise).” The number is staged in dim lighting as Rafiki tries to conjure Simba’s ancestors. The ensemble gracefully weaves in and out of the background carrying what appear to be large flagpoles of some kind before coming together to reveal a large Mufasa head, that gives Simba words of encouragement. After a brief scene in which Simba agrees to reclaim his rightful place as ruler, the stage is suddenly washed in color and light as the company—many of whom are now in African human-clothing sans animal puppetry—sings a joyous final refrain.
Disney had a major hit with Beauty & the Beast, even if its translation from screen to stage was somewhat pedestrian, beyond some technical wizardry. Their follow up, however, was an artistic triumph and eventually became the highest grossing piece of entertainment in any medium. The Lion King turned Disney’s “Hamlet-in-the-Saranghetti” into a celebration of African culture, coupled with puppetry and stage imagery unlike anything seen on Broadway before. Julie Taymor went from respected experimental downtown artist to household name. Its influence on staging can been seen in productions like War Horse, The Life of Pi, the most recent revival of Into the Woods, and this season’s Boop!. In reclaiming and restoring the long-abandoned Amsterdam Theater, Disney planted a flag on Broadway and spurred the transformation of Times Square from a crime-ridden epicenter for adult movie theaters into a family friendly tourist destination.
Recommended Recording: ”He Lives in You (Reprise),” The Lion King (1997 Original Broadway Cast)
One of the most obvious changes Julie Taylor made when adapting Lion King to the stage was changing Rafiki to a woman, since there were few other female characters in the narrative. South African actress, singer, and composer Tsidii Le Loka originated the role and composed the character’s chants heard throughout the piece. (The Act 1 version, “They Live in You” is also fun because Mufasa is played by Samuel Wright, the original voice of Sebastian the crab.)
Alternate Performances
The stage version of The Lion King has received ~8 cast recordings. “He Lives in You”/“They Live in You” has received a surprising number of recordings, including covers by Johnny Mathis, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and an entire cottage industry of a cappella groups.
Rhythm of the Pride Lands (1995)South African composer and arranger Lebo M wrote and performed “He Lives in You” for 1995’s Rhythm of the Pride Lands, an album of original compositions inspired by The Lion King, along with arrangements of Lion King songs in more traditionally African styles. This album helped inspire the stage version and its celebration of African culture. Lebo M served as the choral conductor and vocal arranger for the Broadway production. He sings “They Live in You” in the 2025 The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl concert, steaming on Disney Plus.
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998): This direct-to-video uses “He Lives in You” as its opener in the same way the original film uses “Circle of Life,” with the animals converging to honor Simba’s baby. (As far as I can tell, they use the exact same track that appears on Rhythm of the Pride Lands.) It’s a weird opening because “He Lives in You” is kind of spooky, in a minor key, and talks about the night, and the animation is sun-soaked and celebratory.
Diana Ross (1999): The incredible Diana Ross recorded “He Lives in You” for her 1999 album Every Day is a New Day. She also sings it in Double Platinum, a made-for-tv movie she starred in with Brandy. It’s a fun cover featuring an epic violin solo.
Is it Covered by The Rat Pack, Audra McDonald, or Glee?
Audra McDonald was in Ragtime the same season The Lion Kingopened on Broadway, and won a Tony over LK’s Tsidii Le Loka. I’m not saying Disney holds a grudge, but when they made a live action Beauty and the Beast, they cast Audra as an armoire that barely got to sing.
Glee was not on a Disney-owned network. Otherwise they surely would have had an entire Lion King episode, and it would have been wild.
In the Wings
You have just read the only profile of a Disney musical you’re gonna get out of this project! While you wait for next week’s song to drop, you may enjoy listening to Forbidden Broadway’s Lion King segment.
