GOING TO SEE THE LION KINGON BROADWAY

I am going with [insert name/s] to see THE LION KING show!

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Seeing a show is a little like seeing something on TV, or a movie. But the people in a show are right there on the stage. They are called actors.

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THE LION KING show is at the Minskoff Theatre. When I get there, I will see big signs that say “Minskoff Theatre” and “The Lion King.” They look like this:

We may have to stand in line to get into the theatre. I will be patient and stand quietly while we wait.

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We will go inside the building and show our tickets to a person who will tell us where to go.

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Inside the lobby, there is a lot to see. There are statues of characters from THE LION KING. The costumes are colorful and don’t look like what I wear every day. It is important not to touch them so they will stay nice for other people to look at. Even though they might look scary, I know that they can’t hurt me. If I feel afraid, I can hold mommy or daddy’s hand, squeeze a fidget or take five deep breaths.

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Our seats will be in a place called the Orchestra or a place called the Mezzanine. When we get inside, we will go up the escalators. If we are going to the Orchestra, we will go up two escalators. If we are going to the Mezzanine, we will go up three escalators.If I don’t want to use the escalator, I can use the stairs.

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Before we go inside the theatre, we will see the bathrooms and water fountains. If I need to use the bathroom, I can ask. If I need a drink of water, I can ask for one.

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Then we will go inside the theatre. The theatre is very big. There are a lot of seats in the theatre!

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A person called an usher will look at our tickets and tell us which seats to go to.

The numbers on the tickets tell us where we have to sit. It is not a choice.

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The usher will also give us Playbills. Playbills are books that tell you about the people who helped to make the show. Playbills have pictures of the actors and tell you the names of the songs you will hear in the show.

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When it is time for the show to start, someone will ask everyone to turn off their phones. The theatre will get darker and everyone will get quiet. I will try to be as quiet as I can during the show so that I can hear everything.

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I will also see actors wearing big animal costumes walking to the stage in the Orchestra.

There will be beautiful giraffes, elephants, hyenas and other animals. Some actors will be flying bird puppets.

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Some of the animals and singers may come close to me. The animals are not real; they are actors wearing costumes and makeup, like on Halloween.

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It is important that I stay in my seat when the animals are walking to the stage. If I feel afraid or nervous, I can cover my ears, squeeze a fidget, hold my Mommy or Daddy’s hand, or hug my Mommy or Daddy.Sometimes I may think the show is a little scary. If I am scared, I can cover my ears, squeeze a fidget or hug my Mommy or Daddy.

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After each song, some people will clap.

Clapping is nice because it tells the actors you liked their song. If I want to clap, I can. I know that even though the clapping can be loud and can feel scary, none of the noise can hurt me.

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In the middle of the show, we will have a break. This break is called Intermission. During the break, many people will stand up to go get a drink or to use the bathroom. If I want to, I can ask for a snack or a drink.

I can also ask to use the bathroom if I need to.

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After the break, everyone will come back and sit down in their seats again. It will get darker and quieter again just like at the beginning of the show. The actors will come back on the stage and finish telling the Lion King story.

After the show is over, we’ll go down the escalators and go out of the Minskoff Theatre.

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I am excited to go see THE LION KING!

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This social narrative is based on Going to See “The Lion King” Show by Steven Chaikelson and Amanda Rosen which was written for the 2011 Autism-friendly Broadway performance.

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