When in Singapore: Catch a pride of lions by the bay, The Lion King at The Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands

Connecting three towers is a cantilever platform, one of the longest in the world's public space, where a tropical oasis nests—the rooftop paradise of Sands SkyPark. The architectural marvel is a landmark at Singapore's Marina Bay. 

If the exterior of Marina Bay Sands is impressive, so is the interior. The integrated resort houses a casino and a hotel with complete facilities. It's also a culinary haven with world-renowned chefs in the headline and a shopper’s paradise with a pool of luxury brands to dive into, including the Louis Vuitton boutique lodged on a floating island.

To dazzle the cultural eye, Marina Bay Sands added to the complex a museum as iconic in its architectural design—the ArtScience Museum—and a venue designed for world-class musicals and concerts—the Sands Theatre.

On the recent visit to Singapore, I checked out the Sands Theatre to catch the Lion King on stage.

Who hasn’t seen this Disney flick and heard the Academy Award-winning soundtrack ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ by Elton John? The movie is a tearjerker and a heartwarming tale of father-and-son love and how the young Simba transformed from a wide-eyed cub to King of the Pridelands. If you fell in love with The Lion King on the wide screen, you will adore the brilliantly reimagined live version on stage. 

The stage production of The Lion King explodes with glorious colors, stunning effects, and fabulous puppetry. It comes as no surprise why this Broadway-born musical bagged over 70 major international awards and captivated millions worldwide. 

In Singapore, the 1,680-seat Sands Theater of Marina Bay Sands is showcasing The Lion King stage play as their resident performance. It debuted in March 2011 and will have its last roar on October 30th.

On the adjacent side, The Grand Theater, larger with 2,155 seats, will stage a wide range of headlining acts, performing arts, and gala events. ABBA Mania and Wicked are this theater’s listed coming shows.

Behind the curtain, the Marina Bay Sands makes sure all the performances run perfectly in the two theaters to dazzle. Designed in the traditional proscenium style, both theaters are equipped with large orchestra pits, seat wagons, and trap rooms. It boasts of the latest technology, which allows a multitude of stage configurations and an efficient set change for all theater performances.

The Lion City is now roaring louder than usual. With fantastic venues such as Marina Bay Sands, it gives every traveling Dabawenyo a great reason to make Singapore a regular destination and immerse themselves in the arts, feast on the mouth-watering cuisine, and again, do what we all do best—shop!