When ‘The Lion King’ first turned a Toronto theatre into the African Pride Lands, Jewelle Blackman began her own circle of life

In the opening moments of “The Lion King,” a shamanistic mandrill named Rafiki appears alone onstage, issuing a call for her fellow creatures to gather. As the sun rises behind her, casting its golden rays over the African Pride Lands, the animal kingdom awakens. 
“It’s the circle of life and it moves us all through despair and hope, through faith and love,” sings Rafiki. “‘Til we find our place on the path unwinding in the circle, the circle of life.” 
Director Julie Taymor’s production transforms the theatre into a sub-Saharan oasis. Towering giraffes emerge out of the wings, followed by a herd of gazelles, leaping onto the stage. And down the aisles parade a menagerie of elephants, rhinos and birds. 
Jewelle Blackman recalls sitting in awe at the Princess of Wales Theatre more than two decades ago as that musical sequence unfolded around her. She was a Queen’s University student at the time, sights set on becoming an entertainment lawyer. But that original Canadian production of “The Lion King,” which opened in Toronto in 2000, would prove life-changing.
“It made a career in the theatre seem possible,” said Blackman. “After seeing the show, I just felt that I had to be part of it.” 
Several months, a university graduation and a career change later, Blackman would join the Toronto company of “The Lion King” as a female swing, covering seven ensemble roles in what was one of her first professional jobs in the theatre. Eight months after that, she was promoted into the starring role of Nala, a headstrong lioness and the love interest of Simba, a young lion who’s exiled from the Pride Lands after his father’s murder.
Blackman remained with the production for much of its four-year run, closing the show as Shenzi, a female hyena recruited by Simba’s uncle, the villainous lion Scar. 
Now, some 20 years after that “Lion King” shuttered in Toronto, Blackman is stepping back into the role of Shenzi as Disney and Mirvish prepare to mount a new Canadian production of the musical, hosted once again at the Princess of Wales Theatre. 
“I know it’s going to sound corny, but it truly is the circle of life, because this was the show that basically started my professional career in Toronto.” said Blackman, speaking with the Star during a break in rehearsals. “I still get chills when we sing ‘The Circle of Life’ and it still makes me feel all the things I felt all those years ago.” 
If Blackman’s return to “The Lion King” marks the closing of a circle, then what’s come in between is a multidisciplinary career that’s seen her don many hats as she’s criss-crossed the continent. 
After “The Lion King” ended its run in 2004, Blackman headed out to sea as a performer on one of Disney’s cruise ships. Upon her return to Canada, she spent several seasons at the Stratford Festival, appearing in shows such as “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Cabaret.” 
Then, in 2017, a casting call for a new show called “Hadestown” landed in Blackman’s inbox. Anaïs Mitchell’s musical, inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, was seeking actors who were also instrumentalists to play the trio of fates in a production at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre. Blackman, who played the violin since she was a child, auditioned for the show thinking she was a strong candidate for the part. 
When she landed the gig, Blackman could sense she was part of something special. “It was an amazing experience and I knew from that moment that the show was going to go further,” she recalled. But little did Blackman know then that “Hadestown” would be one of the most transformative professional experiences of her career.
Two years later, after a limited engagement in London, “Hadestown” transferred to Broadway, where Blackman reprised her role from Edmonton. Met with critical acclaim, the show went on to win the Tony Award for best musical in 2019. 
Onstage, Blackman’s contributions are impossible to overlook. Her unmistakable contralto, the lowest female voice type, is a deeply resonant yet versatile instrument. And despite her humble personality offstage, Blackman can be a larger-than-life presence under the spotlight. 
She ultimately stayed with “Hadestown” for more than four years, including through the pandemic. For her last 18 months with the Broadway production, Blackman took over as Persephone, after understudying the principal role since 2020. Playing that part was always a dream for Blackman, who initially auditioned for the show’s Edmonton production by singing Persephone’s Act 2 solo, “Our Lady of the Underground,” while playing the violin.
But though Blackman was living out her Broadway dream eight times a week, she’s also brutally candid about the sacrifices it took to sustain that dream. 
Her son, now a teenager, was only seven when Blackman started her Broadway journey. She admits it was painful leaving him in Toronto when she went to New York City. “Every two or three weeks, I’d fly home for 36 hours to see him,” she said. “I know it still hurt him … I’m still reaping the guilt.” 
But Blackman also knows that “Hadestown” was something she had to do. 
“I knew I had to do it because of the opportunity. Had I not, I would have not been a very nice person. I would have been a very resentful person,” she explained. “And I believe it’s important to show my son that sometimes you have to sacrifice some things to attain the dreams that you want to attain. Not everyone will agree with you or like your decision, but as long as you can sit with yourself and try to do the best that you can, that is all that matters.” 
Blackman left “Hadestown” in September 2023 of her own accord. Her son was entering the eighth grade and Blackman wanted to ensure she was by his side throughout high school. 
Recently, Blackman has spent more of her energy on writing. She wrote two original musicals that premiered earlier this year at the Toronto Fringe Festival: “Rooted: A Musical Poem” and “Boy Boy and the Magic Drum,” the latter co-written with Chantal Forde and winning the prestigious Adams Prize for Musical Theatre.
This artistic versatility is a quality that Blackman has embraced throughout her career. “It’s important for performers to know that you’re not ever just one thing,” she said. “Once you let all these other things into your life, I feel like that’s when you start living more fully.” 
Living more fully, and living presently, is what Blackman is most focused on these days. And while she’s closing one circle as she steps back into “The Lion King,” she’s also beginning another.
As a working mother, she’s grateful she’s now back in her hometown, working in a dream show, while also able to support her son each day. The poeticism of it all isn’t lost on her: when the curtain rises for the first public performance of “The Lion King” on Saturday evening, Blackman will be part of that cavalcade of animals processing down the aisle — past the very seat where she sat as a student, inspired to pursue a life in the arts. 
“The Lion King” begins performances Saturday at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W. Visit mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333 for tickets and information.