And while the acting and singing are consistently smart and sensitive, this is above all a measured, epic tale told with restless and often breathtaking images. Here, the Elton John-Tim Rice songs (including “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”) are expanded and deepened percussionists nested on both sides of the stage supply a steady pulse of African rhythms, while a capella choral bursts and earthy dancing punctuated with leaps and twists sweep us toward a mystical realm. That primal good-evil plot and circle-of-life theme obviously inspired Taymor’s yen for ritual and myth in a way that somehow tied her in knots more recently with “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” her ultra-expensive, famously troubled musical with U2’s Bono and The Edge. Brown, in a devious mode), and his pack of yakking hyenas. Steven Taylor), and his son Simba (an athletic and winning Jelani Remy) to the lioness Nala (a poised Nia Holloway), all arrayed against Mufasa’s power-hungry brother, Scar (Patrick R. The story is full of heroes, from the patriarch, Mufasa (performed with majestic calm by L. That’s the magnetic opening of a musical that famously went its own way in adapting Disney’s 1994 hit animated film about a young lion coming of age. The show still disarms audiences with its opening parade of giraffes, gazelles and even an elephant as the theater fills with animal figures to the infectious strains of “Circle of Life.” As always, it takes only a minute for the audience to be struck with wonder by Taymor’s puppetry (designed with Michael Curry), with a wave of happy applause washing through the house. Back then, some of the patrons at Saturday night’s packed official opening were surely too young to say “hakuna matata.” This is only the second time that director Julie Taymor’s deliriously inventive staging has come to Washington, and the last visit was in 2008. You can’t say it has worn out its welcome here.

Next door in the Opera House, “The Lion King” is the same as it ever was: a lavishly joyful and spirited extravaganza. The shrewdly retooled “Side Show,” based on the true story of conjoined twin sisters, is getting a brave new life in the Eisenhower Theater.

Oddly but rather thrillingly, the two shows are back together now at the Kennedy Center. “The Lion King” has been doing royally good business for 17 years. In October 1997, the musical “Side Show” officially opened on Broadway the very day after “The Lion King” began previews.

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