A Common Sense Story About Getting Help With Your English

A Common Sense Story About Getting Help With Your EnglishLucy hires an English tutor for her son, Matthew. She knows that Matthew has trouble with grammar and he cannot stand when his mother is unhappy. Lucy does not want her son to feel what it is like to have problems like this.Lucy takes Matthew to see a private tutor at home. When she tells Matthew about her decision, he asks why she would want a tutor for him. He was not told about the tutor's personality. She told him that Matthew's English is so bad that a tutor is needed. The tutor does help Matthew with his English, but Matthew is not impressed by the tutor.Matthew starts high school and his English are becoming worse. His teacher notices his new poor writing habits and calls Matthew to his office. His teacher says that he needs to start taking more care of his English. Her advice is to find an English tutor for Matthew to help him with his problems.Matthew can see how important the tutoring will be. He knows that English is important to everyone in his life. He finds out that his English is not bad, but it is not good enough for him to handle conversations. He knew that one day he would need help with the English grammar, but he did not know what help he needed.He asks his mother about his tutoring plan and she tells him that it would take his whole life. When he asked why he should help her with the tutoring, she told him that he would never get better without help. Matthew had always thought that he would have to work hard and his English would improve, but he now realizes that the tutoring will help him get to where he wants to be in his life.Matthew does not know what the English tutor is going to do for him. He hopes that the tutor will have something that he does not know about, but he does not know what the tutor is going to teach him. It is unknown to Matthew, what it is that he will be taught. He believes that his mother has a plan for him and he will know what the tutor is going to do. He is sure that he will start learning good English at the end of the school year.There are many ways that people learn English. Some get books and check them out and learn about all the different words and phrases that they know. They go online and study how to write an essay on grammar and writing the sentence correctly. Some people learn by watching television programs on grammar and language. Matthew has learned what it is going to take to improve his English, but he is not sure how much.

Check Out the Best Destinations for ESL Teachers

Check Out the Best Destinations for ESL Teachers Looking for your next ESL teaching job, but not sure what might be best for you?  One of Teach Away's Placement Coordinators, Kathryn, has put together a list of some of the top destinations for experienced ESL teachers  to teach English abroad.The best places to teach English abroadESL teachers have various goals: increasing their salaries, gaining experience overseas, developing professionally, or simply finding a new place for an adventure! Whatever your aim, this article covers your best options.Kathryn has experience teaching ESL in Turkey, which she covers in the article:With many universities throughout Turkey offering English as the medium of instruction (especially in the capital of Ankara, as well as Istanbul), many openings for English teachers exist in preparatory or foundation programs which prepare students to enter faculties within the University. Professional development is often at a high caliber â€" with opportunities to conduct research, present at conferences and even pursue a Masters or DELTA qualification (where available) on scholarship.Not sure where to look for the best salaries? The best place to add to your resume?  See the whole article here. [via Go Abroad]ESL teaching qualificationsLooking to get started teaching English overseas? Most ESL teaching jobs abroad will require a Bachelor's degree as well as a TEFL certificate. As always, Teach Away recommends the University of Toronto's TEFL course, which offers the best in academic quality. All graduates of TEFL Online will receive free job placement consultation services from Teach Away after completing their certificates, giving you the best chance of securing a competitive teaching placement overseas.From now until November 30th, you'll also save an unprecedented $200 - TEFL Online's biggest sale to date - when you enroll in the new 150-hour course.Teach English overseasIf you're looking for opportunities to teach abroad, browse Teach Away's job board for a list of current teaching jobs overseas. Your next adventure could be sooner than you think!

Teaching in Abu Dhabis vocational and technical schools (with job postings)

Teaching in Abu Dhabi’s vocational and technical schools (with job postings) At Teach Away, we source incredible teachers and administrators for all sorts of education positions all around the world. While many of the jobs posted on our job board are for licensed teachers at public schools, international schools, and other private schools, we also post specialized vacancies and licensed teaching openings for technical schools and colleges in Abu Dhabi. About technical schools in Abu Dhabi Teach Away works regularly with two major Abu Dhabi-based hiring bodies to provide qualified English-speaking education professionals. The Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI) and the Institute for Applied Technology (IAT) are vocational schools that each hires hundreds of new teachers and instructors every year. The aim of technical and vocational schools in Abu Dhabi is to prepare students for employment. Between them, ADVETI and IAT provide a wide range of education topics; students study topics as focused as engineering and aviation. Teaching with ADVETI Educators employed by ADVETI are essentially technical college instructors. ADVETI schools are composed of students who have completed high school and are 17 years of age or older. As I mentioned above, these schools’ programs are designed to equip students with employable knowledge and skills. As noted on the ADVETI website, “ADVETI Is Licensed By The Ministry of Higher Education And Scientific Research” and “the programs offered at ADVETI have been specifically designed in consultation with Abu Dhabi industry and businesses to ensure that ADVETI graduates are employable.” Diploma programs at ADVETI are offered in one of their three faculties: Business, Information Technology, or Engineering. Teaching with IAT IAT instructors may work in a high school or college capacity. IAT offers Career-based Technical Education (CTE) at high schools, or secondary and tertiary schools, as well as higher education programs in engineering, aviation, and nursing at the higher learning level. With state-of-the-art facilities and high quality English-speaking education professionals, the Institute of Applied Technology is a vital piece of UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s educational ambitions. Getting hired at an ADVETI or IAT vocational school Abu Dhabi’s technical institutions hire hundreds of educators every year. Their programs are in need of employees with all levels of qualifications - there are opportunities for university graduates, ESL instructors, licensed teachers, college instructors, trades/technical instructors, leadership/administrators/principals, and more. Abu Dhabi technical schools are currently hiring for positions with August 2016 start dates. Make sure your Teach Away profile is complete, then get to applying for the following positions in Abu Dhabi: P.E. Teaching Positions - Vocational School Math Teaching Positions - Vocational School English Teachers - Vocational School Secondary Biology Teachers - Vocational College ICT Teachers - Vocational School English Teachers - Vocational Institute Director - Vocational School Physics Teachers - Vocational Institute Chemistry Teachers - Vocational Institute Biology Teachers - Vocational Institute in Abu Dhabi Cluster Teacher - Vocational Institute Engineering Teachers - Technical Institute Mathematics Teachers - Technical Institute Secondary Chemistry Teaching Positions - Vocational School Physics Teaching Positions - Vocational School

2015 June Language Challenge Get Started Guide

2015 June Language Challenge Get Started Guide Are you ready for the Challenge? The clock starts on June 1st, but here are 4 things that you should do BEFORE the Challenge starts to set yourself up for success.   Our experience shows that preparation really pays off! Tip 1. Choose your teacher(s) ahead of time Try to complete those trial sessions so you can choose your teacher(s) and begin planning. Many italki students find it helpful to work with several teachers. Out of trial sessions?   If you used all three long ago when you first registered, email italki support to ask for more. Still looking for teachers?   Find one here: browse teacher profiles. If youre about to have your first italki class, then this is for you: FAQ: Its my first italki session. What should I do? Tip 2. Schedule sessions (or a package) in advance Booking your sessions early is a great way to make sure you’ll put in your time and complete the Challenge. Even better, buying a package and booking the hours in advance is an excellent way of making yourself commit! Here at italki, its a strategy we use ourselves to cope with our busy schedules! Want to schedule something now? Here are some links: Click here to schedule lessons in a package Click here to manage your upcoming sessions Click here to schedule a new session (or a package) with a teacher youve worked with before. Click here to buy credits if you need more italki credits (ITC) to schedule your lessons. You can view your session calendar here; watch it fill up! Youll also see an option to link your session calendar to Google Calendar or iCal, which is so convenient. Tip 3. Set your goal and discuss with your teacher Set your own Challenge goal in advance. What would you like to be able to do by the end of June? Decide on at least one little thing you will do every day to keep moving forward toward your goal.   If youd like some help with this, try answering these ten questions to help you clarify your Challenge goal   (you will have to sign in to a Google account). What will success look like to you? It could be everything from a conversation with a native speaker to being able to read a restaurant menu and place an order! Tip 4. Tell your friends Social support is a great way to motivate yourself, both by receiving encouragement and by publicly declaring your Challenge goal.  Add your voice to the Thunderclap announcement.   If you make a video pledge to announce your goal, we’ll send you 50 ITC! Heres one of our favorites!   We love Cassies sense of humor, creativity, and her unique personal challenge goal of explaining how to make bread all in French!   This is what its all about! Encourage Cassie by commenting on her notebook entry here. Additional Language Challenge Resources: Challenge Official Site and Registration Page Challenge Rules and FAQs Challenge Blog Coverage 2015 June Language Challenge Get Started Guide Are you ready for the Challenge? The clock starts on June 1st, but here are 4 things that you should do BEFORE the Challenge starts to set yourself up for success.   Our experience shows that preparation really pays off! Tip 1. Choose your teacher(s) ahead of time Try to complete those trial sessions so you can choose your teacher(s) and begin planning. Many italki students find it helpful to work with several teachers. Out of trial sessions?   If you used all three long ago when you first registered, email italki support to ask for more. Still looking for teachers?   Find one here: browse teacher profiles. If youre about to have your first italki class, then this is for you: FAQ: Its my first italki session. What should I do? Tip 2. Schedule sessions (or a package) in advance Booking your sessions early is a great way to make sure you’ll put in your time and complete the Challenge. Even better, buying a package and booking the hours in advance is an excellent way of making yourself commit! Here at italki, its a strategy we use ourselves to cope with our busy schedules! Want to schedule something now? Here are some links: Click here to schedule lessons in a package Click here to manage your upcoming sessions Click here to schedule a new session (or a package) with a teacher youve worked with before. Click here to buy credits if you need more italki credits (ITC) to schedule your lessons. You can view your session calendar here; watch it fill up! Youll also see an option to link your session calendar to Google Calendar or iCal, which is so convenient. Tip 3. Set your goal and discuss with your teacher Set your own Challenge goal in advance. What would you like to be able to do by the end of June? Decide on at least one little thing you will do every day to keep moving forward toward your goal.   If youd like some help with this, try answering these ten questions to help you clarify your Challenge goal   (you will have to sign in to a Google account). What will success look like to you? It could be everything from a conversation with a native speaker to being able to read a restaurant menu and place an order! Tip 4. Tell your friends Social support is a great way to motivate yourself, both by receiving encouragement and by publicly declaring your Challenge goal.  Add your voice to the Thunderclap announcement.   If you make a video pledge to announce your goal, we’ll send you 50 ITC! Heres one of our favorites!   We love Cassies sense of humor, creativity, and her unique personal challenge goal of explaining how to make bread all in French!   This is what its all about! Encourage Cassie by commenting on her notebook entry here. Additional Language Challenge Resources: Challenge Official Site and Registration Page Challenge Rules and FAQs Challenge Blog Coverage

The Chemistry Basics Quiz Will Help You Improve Your Chemistry Skills

The Chemistry Basics Quiz Will Help You Improve Your Chemistry SkillsOne of the best ways to improve one's chemistry skills is to take a good chemistry basics quiz. This quiz will show you exactly how much knowledge you need to become an excellent chemist. You can get started with a simple chemistry basics quiz and find out if you want to continue.There are several choices that you have in order to have your quiz completed. You can use a free version of the quiz, or you can pay a certain amount to get a more complete test that will take an hour or two. The fee you pay will be used to pay for any time that is required to review your quiz.This exam will help to teach you basic chemistry concepts. You will learn what is a compound, what an element is, what is a metal, and what are compounds that are present in the universe.Many people choose to take an actual test instead of using a quiz. These tests are often free to take and offer a great way to make sure that you understand everythin g that is being taught to you. Most tests are four hours long and take you about two weeks to complete.When you are ready to take your test, take your quiz and watch it back, make notes, and answer any questions that you may have. You will need to write out all of the topics you can remember that you have studied on.Many people are worried about taking a quiz because they are worried that it will be too hard. The truth is that you can easily do a test like this and there is no reason that you can't take a test like this. You just need to think about what you are studying for and how much time you have.The key is to make sure that you can do it in a short time frame. You can easily have a test done in under two weeks, but if you don't do it right then you may find that it takes even longer to finish. If you start to feel that you are not ready for a test, then you can quickly find that you need to make some quick changes.

The Right Way to Find a Good Piano Tutor

The Right Way to Find a Good Piano TutorWhether you are a master or novice to learn to play the piano, there is no doubt that finding the right tutor is very important. While you want to find a good tutor who can be your personal assistant and guide on your way to becoming a piano prodigy, you also want a tutor that will put his knowledge into practice by instructing you to the best of his ability.Choosing the right tutor is extremely important. If you choose a tutor who does not put in the time to help you improve your playing and training techniques, you will be wasting your time and money. The good news is that there are plenty of great tips to help you find the perfect tutor.One very important tip is to spend time visiting the home of your prospective tutor so that you can find out if he has been practicing regularly and hard enough. He should be willing to show you all of his works and shows of his latest works to make sure that you get a real idea of what he can do. This will a lso enable you to gain an idea of the type of work he puts into helping his students to become piano prodigies.Another important aspect of choosing a good tutor is his attitude towards teaching. A good tutor is one who keeps his students motivated throughout their lessons and gives them the right support and motivation to succeed. In fact, a good tutor is like a mentor for the student.One other very important element to finding the best tutor is how well he can motivate you. Having a tutor who is able to motivate you will go a long way to helping you to become a piano prodigy and possibly one day be playing on the famous stage.It is important that you also choose a good tutor who can offer you a good price for his services. Remember that tuition fees for a piano tutor should be made up of money you will be spending on materials and performance. So, always take into consideration that this fee should include everything needed for you to achieve your goal.Being a good student and bein g a good piano prodigy should not come at a price that makes your life more complicated. By following these simple pointers you will be able to find the perfect tutor for you, and with time you will be able to realize how much better you will be at playing the piano after hiring a tutor.

The Best Computer Tutor Hidden Porn Videos on the Internet

The Best Computer Tutor Hidden Porn Videos on the InternetIf you're searching for the best computer tutor hidden porn videos on the internet, then you are on the right page. This site is run by professionals in the business. You won't find anything here that you wouldn't see in a porn film. All you need to do is turn on your computer and get started.These sites offer the best computer tutor hidden porn videos you will ever see. It's probably safe to say that if you're looking for the best on the internet, you're not going to find a better one. That's because the professionals at this site have been around a long time and know what they're doing.Go ahead and see for yourself. You will notice a couple of things about these sites that are pretty unique. You can expect to see some great videos, great descriptions, and also some great customer service.I know that everyone wants great customer service, but you have to think about the person that's doing the paying. There's nothing worse th an someone spending money on something and then being completely disappointed. And I know how frustrating it can be to get a good online experience from someone and then find out that they can't even be bothered to follow through with the customer service they promised.So it's really important to get these things with the customer service first before you start getting the quality you expect. I just wish I knew about this website years ago.Remember, when you're paying for something, you want to take the chance to get it. You shouldn't have to wait for months or even years for it to be delivered, only to have it be rejected due to poor customer service.These computer tutor hidden porn videos are absolutely the best in the business. Get them now before anyone else does.

Reading and Playing Guitar Chords the Easy Way

Reading and Playing Guitar Chords the Easy Way Improve your Guitar Playing with Chord Charts and Tab. ChaptersRemind Me, What's a Chord?Guitar Chord ChartsDifferences between Guitar Tabs and Chord ChartsReading a Chord ChartSome Chords You Really Need to Know.Advice for Playing Guitar ChordsAs a guitarist you can play and compose your own pieces of music. But you’ll probably also want to play pieces by your favorite artists, guitarists, and musicians.Whether you like listening to rock guitar, jazz guitar, funk, blues, hard-rock, classical or even flamenco, there must be pieces that you want to learn to play on your guitar. Otherwise, why is it that you want to play the guitar?To get learning all these different songs and guitar you don't have a lot of options - you’ll simply need to learn your chords to play the song. No discussion.Guitarists that can't play chords are unheard of. And a piece without a chord is really pretty rare too!But how do you read guitar chords, and how do you play them? Can you get help in the form of guitar lessons or tutorials? Do you need to know music theory?In this piece, we'll answer all these questions - and show you some of the easy techniques to get to grips with learning, reading, and playing chords.To transcribe chords properly, musicians use what we call a chord chart or chord diagram. This is a visual representation of a chord on the guitar neck - meaning which fingers we would put where.Thanks to this diagram, it is pretty simple to understand the movements you need to make for a chord.This is what guitar chord charts look like. You probably recognise them!In fact, every chord for guitar can be rewritten on a chord chart - as, with these chord diagrams, you can represent any arrangement of fingers on the neck. It's quite straightforward, meaning that you don't need to know anything about the theory of chord progressions or scales - because all these show is the physical demands of the fingering of the given chord on the fret board. (Although, to know how to play guitar fully, you should engage in a bit of music theory!) Essentially, chord boxes simplify reading chords in the same way that guitar tabs simplify reading music.How’s a Chord Chart Written?To read and play guitar chords, you must learn how to read chord charts and then how to play your guitar chords.On the box, you’ll see three kinds of information - strings, frets, and fingers. With these three factors, you can represent any chord.  A chord box will tell you exactly which finger to place, and where to put it. It'll tell you, say, to put your first finger on the second fret of the first string.To read a chord box you should know that your guitar strings are represented by the vertical lines, and that the frets are represented by the horizontal lines. It's like an inverted tablature.The double horizontal line that you can see (or sometimes a thick black line) represents the nuts on the neck of your guitar. If you see this, your hand needs to be right up there in the open position.A chord box also includes numbers - each finger on your left hand is associated with a number between 1 and 4.  The thumb is often indicated with a ’T’ or a ‘P’.Tabs are a special way of writing music for the guitar. They are a visual representation of your guitar strings. They help you know where to put your fingers during a guitar lesson.On a chord box, you can see three key bits of information:fingersfretsstringsThe combination of these three factors can describe any chord, and therefore charts may seem immediately a bit more complex than guitar tabs.However, this isn't really true. Guitar players use these diagrams just to see the shape of the chord. There is no rhythm, strumming pattern, or anything else shown. It's just merely the shape of your fingers.Reading a Chord ChartOn a chord box, you may see a few unfamiliar symbols.  For example, an ‘X’ means a string should not be played or strummed.  An ‘O’, meanwhile, indicates an open string which should be played without placing your fingers on a fret.The numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 correspond to the fingers on your left hand and tell you how the chord should be shaped.1 is your index finger2 is your middle finger3 is your ring fingerand 4 is your pinky.If you see Roman numerals like I, II, III, IV, etc, they tell you the fret boxes on the neck of your guitar.For example, if you see a III on a chord box, you know that the chord starts on the third fret on the neck.If there’s no Roman numeral, but the double line for the nuts is there, that means that the chord should be played at the very top of the neck. This is common for the main major and minor chords on the guitar (the open chords!).This is how chords would look in tab! We use chord charts to simplify this a little.For those learning to play guitar, learning how to read chord charts is a valuable skill that will allow you to play different chords and to appreciate all of the different positions in which the same chord can be played.The note that you generally begin to play your chord with, and the one that you start with when you’re breaking down a chord in arpeggio.It’s also the bass note which gives the chord its name.Some Chords You Really Need to Know.If you want to quickly progress to playing chords and recreating pieces of your favorite music, there are a few key chord charts that you need to study, practice, and learn by heart.The key chords to know are A minor, E minor, C major, D major, and G major.Just by using these five chords you can play many popular pieces of music, especially segments of pop and rock songs.Of course, this list of five chords is not exhaustive (not by any means!), and nothing requires you to limit yourself to them. All five are from the same chord progression, G major.Practice to Improve Your Chords on the GuitarThis exercise isn't necessarily appropriate for beginners, but is more suited to people who’ve already had a few practice sessions with the guitar and are starting to feel comfortable.Place your hand correctly on the neck of the guitar.Position your fingers for a chord as you would normally, but keep your hand hovering over the neck and don’t actually touch the frets.When all of your fingers are hovering in the right place, push them all down onto the neck at the same time and don’t move.Lift your hand and repeatIf the chord sounds right, you can repeat this exercise with other major and minor chords to test your positions.But if the chord sounds wrong, don’t try and check for the right position. Instead look at your hand to see if you can understand where you’ve gone wrong and try to fix your position.Practice your guitar chords regularly - and they'll soon be easy.It’s excellent practice that helps to recreate a real situation. When you’re playing a piece of music on the guitar, you can’t make any mistakes and all of your positions need to be right the first time around. Otherwise your playing will be sloppy and slow and you will lose the rhythm of your guitar playing.Another advantage o f this exercise is that it will help you gain speed - moving all of your fingers at once will help you get into the right position quickly, especially if you’re playing arpeggios. Your dexterity and fluidity will be improved.Advice for Playing Guitar ChordsTo achieve success reading and playing guitar chords, here are a few tips that apply to any guitarist whether you’re a beginner or experienced.Learn to position your fingers correctly on the neck of the guitar. At the beginning, focus on your left hand and make sure that each finger is only touching one string at a time.  Once you feel comfortable with the position of your hand on the neck, begin strumming the strings with your right hand.If one of your fingers is in the wrong position, move it and put it in the right one.  Don't try and move your fingers around too much, or you'll begin to pick up bad habits, make your position uncomfortable, and you won't be able to reproduce the sounds afterwards.Keep it simple, begin each chord and position from the beginning.  Pay attention and think about how each chord should be shaped.Why are you having trouble? Is it because your fingers are touching other strings? Are you not pushing hard enough? Or are you accidentally pushing on other strings with your right hand?When you’ve finally hit all of the strings right to play the chord, then try and play each string separately and keep the fingers of your left hand in the same position. Each note should sound cleanly without any muting or interference.  If there's a lot of interference on the note, it means your finger positions aren't quite right.  Either your fingers are touching other strings, you aren't pushing hard enough, or your palm is muting the sound.Teach yourself to just push on the strings with the tips of your fingers. Work on your positions during every guitar lesson until you can play each chord without any errors. Your playing should be fluid and natural.Practice regularly, at least 10 minutes eve ry other day.  Regular practice will help you build up calluses on your fingers. Your speed of playing will improve and you'll gain muscle memory.Once you've mastered your chords, try playing them in one order and then in another. Do the exercise again, positioning your fingers above the neck without actually touching it. If you want to improve your skill playing guitar, this is the way in which you'll become better. This exercise will improve your precision, sound, and dexterity.Every guitarist learns how to read and play chords, but you can distinguish yourself by making your playing precise and strong.This is why we recommend starting slow, and breaking down each chord to its composite notes. Once you're comfortable, you can begin to increase your speed. This will help you stay motivated during your guitar lessons!And whatever happens, make sure that you learn your chords by heart and then begin to integrate them into your playing.

The Lion King

The Lion King A Look Behind the Scenes of The Lion King Musical ChaptersThe Lion King: a SynopsisThe Story Behind the StoryWho Played Simba?The Music of the Lion KingDifferences between Film and ShowProduction NotesIn a sense, it’s a tale as old as time â€" of a youngster coming of age and coming into his own. The fact that it was told by cartoon lions and hyenas notwithstanding, the fully animated feature-length film presented by one of the world’s most recognisable brands was a hit.That’s true whether talking about the Disney animated film or the musical that was born of it.In some ways, The Lion King is a remarkable story, not just for its storyline but for the tale’s genesis.Many films or stage shows are interpretations of some previous work or an individual’s remarkable deed. Generally, Walt Disney Pictures follows form.However, unlike their standard fare (think; Beauty and the Beast) The Lion King is Disney’s first wholly original animated film â€" meaning that writers and producers brainstormed the whole story from start to fin ish.Although unanimously praised, it endured harsh criticism, especially from Japanese audiences for its parallels to the anime series Kimba the White Lion.All of the above refers to the Disney film. What about the stage show?Now, Superprof tells a different story: how The Lion King wowed audiences around the world, how it adapted to cultural elements wherever it played and how mere actors became marvellous jungle beasts.You should know that it is not easy for the average performer to turn into a reasonably credible giraffe…We have front-row seats to the stage production of The Lion King and the curtain is about to go up! TraceySinging Teacher 4.92 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PortiaSinging Teacher 4.91 (11) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolaSinging Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JazzSinging Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PerrineSinging Teacher 5.00 (3) £50/h1st lesson fr ee!Discover all our tutors TiemSinging Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomSinging Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MiriamSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Lion King: a Synopsis For Lion King Live, performers had to sing wearing tight corsets - as Alphonso Jones does in his role as young Simba Source: Wikipedia Credit: Alphonso Jones IIIt’s morning on the savanna. A proclamation has caused all of the animals to gather at Pride Rock for the presentation of the Lion King’s scion, Simba.Rafiki approaches, staff in hand. He utters an incantation and breaks open what looks like a pomegranate. With the juice, he marks the newborn lion cub. He then sprinkles dust, which causes Simba to sneeze. Rafiki then takes the baby lion and holds him aloft, presenting him to the rest of the kingdom. All of the animals bow.Simba is a frisky young lion, always seeking adventure and occasionally getting in trouble.One such time, his father chases him through the gorge to rescue him from a stampeding herd of wildebeest. Simba comes out of the ordeal shaken but unharmed; the same cannot be said for his father, Mufasa.Scar, Simba’s uncle, who orchestrated the stampede expressl y to end Mufasa’s reign, urges his nephew to run away before anyone can discover that he played a part in his father’s â€" the king’s death.The evil Scar adroitly plays young Simba’s guilt against him. It takes the now-adolescent lion a long while and a chance encounter with his childhood playmate to realise that, in fact, he had no hand in his father’s death… but that knowledge comes much later.After years in the company of his friends Timon and Pumbaa, he must return to Pride Rock, fight the evil that has decimated his home and claim his rightful place as the Lion King.Laden with symbolism, The Lion King depicts a commonplace event â€" growing up, wrapped in questions of morality.Are there any moral messages in the musical Oliver!?The Story Behind the StoryThis tale draws on elements of the Bible, specifically fleeing one’s home, as Moses and Jacob did. You could also draw parallels with Cain and Abel and most certainly recognise a devil in Scar’s character.Shakesp eare’s Hamlet is plainly evident in Simba. Virtually every facet of the young lion mirrors Hamlet, from the loss of his father and running away to the moral dilemmas he wrestles with.Finally, The Lion King is a tale that everyone can relate to: coming of age is not easy whether you are human or lion. Stepping up, eschewing the easy life and accepting responsibility are all a part of growing up.How are such elements played in The Phantom of the Opera?spoken in Zulu.We’ll talk more about the music in the next segment.To give you a snapshot of which actors played what role in which country, we’ve compiled the following list.Lion King CastsCharacterWest EndBroadwayParisHamburgJohannesburgSimba Young SimbaRoger Wright Luke YoungbloodJason Raize Scott Irby-RanniarJérémy Fontanet Sofiane LedhemGino Emnes Otis JacintoAndile Gumbi Tshepiso MorakeNala Young NalaPaulette Ivory Dominique MooreHeather Headley Kajuana ShufordLéah Vincent Ketsia TotoSenit Malia ZoungranaTsholo Monedi Hlen giwe MasekoMufasaCornell JohnSamuel E. WrightJean-Luc GuizonneMichael Edward-StevensSello Maake-KancubeScarRob EdwardsJohn VickeryOlivier BreitmanMarc HetterleMark RaymentTimonSimon GregorMax CasellaChristian AbartOliver GricePeter MashigoPumbaaMartyn EllisTom Alan RobbinsFabrice de La VillehervéLakke MagnussonPierre van HeerdenRafikiJosette Bushell-MingoTsidii Le LokaZama MagudulelaVelephi Patricia MnisiBuyisile ZamaShenziStephanie CharlesTracy Nicole ChapmanCéline LanguedocAnastasia BainCandida MosomaBanzaiPaul J. MedfordStanley Wayne MathisValery RodriguezJerrel HoutsneeSimon GwalaEdChristopher HoltKevin CahoonMickaël ViguierEnrique SeguraMichael BaggZazuGregory GudgeonGeoff HoyleDavid EgurenJoachim BenoitLyall RamsdenSarabiDawn MichaelGina BreedloveMelina M'PoyAraba WaltonZoe MthiyaneWho was your favourite performer in Cats? The Lion King musical makes use of puppetry to bring the animals to life Source: WikipediaThe Music of the Lion KingYou would probably be hard-pressed to find anyone who has seen The Lion King that doesn’t know that Sir Elton John wrote all of the songs and Sir Tim Rice wrote all of the lyrics.Additional musical elements for the show were scored by Hans Zimmer.What you might not know is that the stage show reprised all of the songs of the original film and added two more.Zazu’s Morning Report was original to the film but was edited out. In the musical, it was sung by young Simba, Mufasa and Zazu during the show’s first run on Broadway. Regrettably, it was cut from subsequent performances.Sir Elton further enriched the stage show with Chow Down, sung by the hyenas as they chased Simba and Nala through the elephant graveyard.Other songs not featured in the original film include The Madness of King Scar, The Grasslands Chant, They Live in You and Rafiki Mourns.The only condition S ir Elton attached to his providing the music for the film was that at least one song would be a ballad that would play well on the radio; he made no such stipulation for the stage show’s additional music.In case you hadn’t guessed, the award-winning ballad Sir Elton penned is Can You Feel The Love Tonight but it wasn't the only song from the Lion King soundtrack that made it to radio; Circle of Life also got substantial airplay, peaking at #11 on the UK Singles charts.Hakuna Matata, another award-winning song, did not garner any radio play but is universally recognised.Les Miserables has some pretty memorable songs too…Differences between Film and ShowOverall, the stage show remained true to the original film.Besides the additional music and the scenes they depicted, there were a few notable differences between the stage and screen versions of the story.In the film, Nala was supposed to be exiled for refusing Scar’s advances; that explains why, in the film, she is roaming ar ound alone when she meets up with adolescent Simba. The scene was included in the stage show.Her banishment was scrubbed from the film because of the implication of sexual harassment would not have been suitable for young audiences.Julie Taymor, the Broadway producer, noted that the story had essentially no female leads â€" unlike, say, the Broadway show Chicago. She made Rafiki female, a direct contradiction to the film.The Lioness Hunt â€" both the song and the scene did not feature in the movie. For the show, an elaborate dance was choreographed, made all the more difficult to execute because of the large, bulky headgear the lionesses wear.Timon is one of the most difficult characters to play because that actor had to work the puppet attachments of his costume, straining his arms, back and neck â€" rather a contradiction to his easygoing nature.In all, the live-action film that Disney Studios released this year comes close to capturing the feeling that the original film evoked bu t one might rightly say that the stage show raised the bar on any future Lion King endeavours.Your turn to chime in: how do the most popular musicals compare from stage to screen? The Lion King opened at the New Amsterdam theatre in New York in October 1997 Source: Wikipedia Credit: Andreas PraefckeProduction NotesThe Lion King Broadway show was nominated in 11 categories and took Tony Awards for best musical, best direction, best choreography, best costumes and best scenic and lighting design.In London, it was nominated eight times; it won the Lawrence Olivier Award for best choreography and best costume design.Did you know? Julie Taymor didn’t just direct the show, sh designed the production and the costumes.In France, The Lion King swept their awards ceremonies and, in Australia, it took Best Musical and Best Costume Design awards, among others.Initially thought to be a minor production, it The Lion King debuted far from New York. Its overwhelming success brought it to Broadway stage three months later.It moved to the Minskoff Theatre, another house in New York’s theatre district, to make way for another Disney theatrical production, Mary Poppins.Still, its raging success meant it would continue to play; to date, with more than 9,000 shows, The Lion King is Broadway’s third-longest running musical.In London, the show opened at the Lyceum Theatre in 1999 and hasn’t stopped running yet. Members of the cast twice performed at the Royal Variety Performance with senior members of the Royal family in attendance.If you’ve not yet seen The Lion King musical, you still have a chance to do so! After all, how could anyone pass up the chance to visit the Pride Lands?Now discover the story behind the hit musical, Hamilton...