A while ago I was lucky enough to have a chat with the guy playing Mufasa in the UK touring company.
But if I can choose, I choose the movie over the musical (not that I haven't seen it more then once, lol).
Where I work now, we get little perks, like, discount on theater productions.
Looking at our intranet about a week ago, I saw the title "musical artists for dummies", the title sounded funny enough to have a look what it was about.
First thing I see, is a picture of David Verbeeck!
He's a Flemish musical artists / actor, and the voice for Timon (the entire TLK cast is Dutch, but since Timon & Pumbaa are outcasts, they are voice by Flemish men).
I wasn't planning on going to his show, I wanted to be the freak hanging outside of the building
Also, I haven't been feeling to great the past few days, due to my anxiety & panic disorder, I've been feeling sick for a few days now, even with my meds.
(I guess my US trip is getting too close right now for me to handle)
But then yesterday, I just kept thinking how weird it would be to just show up at the building, lol, and was considering maybe going.
But I was feeling so sick in the morning, I had some stuff to do around the house, I was moaning and complaining, lol.
I did take my meds around noon, as I was planning on going eather way!
I started to feel better, and about an hour before the show actually was going to start (when I had to leave and take the bus basically, lol), I quickly bought a ticket online.
My ticket was originally on 2nd row, I changed it to 5th row, I didn't wanna be so close
The show was basically about musicals he played in (which I never even knew o_O ) and some songs he auditioned for the parts, but didn't get them.
So I thought to myself: oh no, this is going to be boring.
But, someone was talking the show together, with the comical touch here and there, and with all the songs he ended up singing, I wasn't bored for 1 second.
He has a great voice, and can sing extremely good!
"musical artist for dummies", was basically, a list of things you need to have/know, to how to become a musical star.
So they started with his early years, till now.
Then they came to "animation" part.
Of which was said: if you cannot find an audition for a musical, or it's a less good time for you, you need to make money anyways, so why not go into animation?
He sang a song from Happy Feet (not sure if he's in the Flemish version though, I already hated the original English one, lol).
Then they mentioned Timon, and he actually sang "Can you feel the love tonight" (Dutch version) together with the person who played the piano (dude sang both the chorus, Pumbaa's and Nala's part, haha).
It was so great to hear his Timon voice, lol.
I got a tad emotional, hehe.
Later on, he also sang "Sunrise Sunset" from TLK 3, hehe.
After the show, I didn't knew what would happen, I was alone, which I'm usually not, usually someone is with me, and then I got a lot more guts in me.
And then there he was, in the bar, with a beer, talking to loads of people, almost everyone there "knew" him, some were students of him (he teaches music/singing I believe), so I was like, the only person there who had never ever seen him in real life for 20 years.
So, I started to be a bit like a stalker, and whenever he moved to another group of people he knew, I would just kind of follow, look around, lol.
Till all of the sudden he goes: oh, hello, I've seen you standing there for a bit now?
I'm like "euhm ... hiiiiiiiiii *big smile*"
So yeah, I start my sob story again like: well, lemme tell you something about me, I've only known you as Timon, since Lion King has been a big part of my life, and without it, I wouldn't be where I am today, and he has been a part of that obviously.
And he was the first person that had something to do with the movie, that I've actually met now, so I'm extremely nervous, and he totally saw me shaking.
He was really touched by that and said "aww" so many times, and you could just tell from his face, and was telling about, when making the dub, they don't get to see anyone, they don't get to see the people after the movie comes out, so he was really touched that someone like me (and others) can get so much strenght out of it.
I also told him I only got the ticket about an hour before the show started, as I have a panic disorder, and I wasn't feeling so good already, and sitting in a tiny closed dark room, I obviously don't wanna disturb anyone or the show if I had to leave for any reason.
He was so exhited I managed to came!
I asked him why he wasn't asked to play Timon in the Dutch musical, since he is in the business.
(and I'm not sure if I should have asked? I don't know, it was like an akward moment when I did, lol)
He said he was doing other things anyways, and he didn't even knew about it.
So I just thought I'd get rid of the akwardness, and was like "well, I do think you may have been a bit too tall, as the Timon's are quite "small" people" *ahum*
I asked him for an autograph, I asked him not to laugh with the item I brought, lol.
I had an TLK 1 1/5 DVD with me. It was the only one I have at Kenny's house, my Belgian DVD version are all at my home.
He was looking at the 1 1/5 ... so I'm like: yeah, it's the Canadian DVD actually (haha).
(for those not knowing, in Europe it's called "3")
Oh well, also got 2 pictures.
And when I wanted to go, he was like: can I give you a kiss and a hug?
I ain't saying NO to that
I felt so dreamy and on a clowd, haha!
I love how he's holding me in the 2nd picture I've seen pics of him and other girls (who kind of knew him), holding him back like that, but I was too nervous and scared and shy to actually grab him