The most compelling American musical?

Review Score: (4/10)
Entertainment Weekly says: The most compelling American musical-theater song-writing team ... composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens often attain epic grandeur by using foreshadowing and recurring motifs to interweave the lives of the 10 principals.

This is a critique by Entertainment Weakly- not of the dribble known as The Lion King, but of Ragtime- the superior musical. I have NO respect for Broadway or the Tony committee.. KUDOS to London's Lawrence Olivier Awards (their equivalent to the Tony's) for awarding Honk, the Ugly Duckling! BEST MUSICAL over The Lion King. That's why Broadway stinks and London's West End is the premiere theater district in the world. Broadway awards spectacle and popularity over quality- TLK over Ragtime, whereas London awards quality over spectacle.

IT WAS THE MUSIC OF SOMETHING BEGINNING AN ERA EXPLODING A CENTURY SPINNING IN RICHES AND RAGES AND IN RHYTHM AND RHYME THE PEOPLE CALLED IT RAGTIME! RAGTIME! RAGTIME! RAGTIME! RAGTIME!

More Reviews:

• Great for kids and adults!
• lionking on broadway nothing like it
• Very beautiful
• THE BEST BROADWAY MUSICAL SINCE EVITA!
• A Really Good CD
• LOVED IT!
• Wonderful...
• Cast recording fails to capture essense of THE LION KING
• Cast recording spotlights THE LION KING's weaknesses
• African Chants Done Well! But....
• Worst Original Musical Cast Recording Ever
• A theatrical masterpiece
• Not as good as the original film
• The Music and Show is Amazing
• Pretty good, with some rough spots.
• yuck!!!!
• Brings new life to the circle
• Excellent CD
• The Lion King is Awesome!
• As good as the show itself!
• An Amazing Show
• Amazing
• Wonderful in all respects...
• wonderful and inspiring
• OUTSTANDING
• WOW
• Wonderful, Powerful Music
• The Most Riveting Experience of my Life
• Awesome references to the Lord!
• As good as the show!!!
• Good, but No Cigar.
• A very good Lion King Soundtrack
• GREAT CD
• LOVE IT!
• Much Applause!
• Fun CD
• Superb Listening
• An amazing album equivalent to its film counterpart
• Unique and amazing!
• I expected better, but got pretty good
• Truely Disney!
• A little different, but even better!
• If nothing else appeals...
• The second best thing!
• Graceland on Broadway!
• The best musical in the world on CD!
• Broadway version an EXCELLENT expansion of the film!
• Wow!
• I love this cd!
• Whats up with the vicious Ragtime vs Lion King war?
• It's amazing!
• A Disney Spectacle!
• what's up wit hTaylors rude comment?
• wonderful!
• The Lion King Soundtrack
• Lion King is one of the best things to happen to Broadway!
• The Music is great, and so is the Musical!
• Lion King
• Innovative Theatre Meets Family Entertainment
• great
• Take away the special effects and you get this recording!
• A good attempt to capture the majesty of an unfortunate hit.
• I Can't Believe A Cartoon Won Best Musical!
• Replace your movie soundtrack with this much better CD!
• FOLLOWING A BAD TREND, BUT JERKING THE TEARS
• Magical!
• Different from the movie, but I like it better.
• INCREDIBLE!!!
• One of my favorites.
• Wow!
• Were the TONY voters on crack in 1998?
• The best!
• The Lion King Rocks
• A Haunting & Glorious Must Have CD
• SPECTACULAR!!
• Why try to improve on perfection?
• Can't believe it won the GRAMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• The Lion King ROARS in triumph!!!!!!!
• SMALL ROAR
• AMAZING!!!!!! totally awesome!!!!
• Best CD ever Made!!
• One of the most inspiring and fun CD's I've listened to.
• I finally see what Broadway is all about
• It will give you goose bumps!
• riveting, best CD I ever bought
• Please go buy this CD!!!
• Every minute was enjoyable
• Try 10 or 20 Stars! This CD is "THE BEST"!!!!!!
• WOW!
• You must hear this!
• Nothing beats this!!
• Greatest Broadway Soundtrack!!!
• Sorry Rosie!
• Great Music, Great Wright
• If it is possible to wear out a CD, this one will be history
• Amazing!
• I love it, but prefer the movie.
• A message from Stahi: Review of TLKoB
• The Best CD of the Year!
• This CD touches the depths of your soul.