Gayle King and Adam Glassman brave "The Lion King" stage
King appeared as the Bird Lady while Glassman played the back half of a rhino during the musical's opening number at the Minskoff Theatre, as part of a special Oprah Daily segment called "The Adventures of Adam and Gayle." "The Lion King" has been running on Broadway since 1997 and is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.
The experience proved more challenging than expected for both television personalities.
"I learned my lines, but now I didn't realize I had to move while I was saying my lines," King said.
King admitted to struggling with the physical demands of the performance.
"I have to remember to keep my head up, and stop looking at her feet. It's a lot to remember," she said.
The preparation wasn't without mishaps. King fell during rehearsal while climbing steps, which she said got into her head before the actual performance.
"Full face plant going up the steps," King recalled.
Glassman faced his own challenges coordinating movements as half of a rhino costume.
"I was going left when he was going right during rehearsal. It was intense," Glassman said.
Despite initial nerves, both hosts said the actual performance exceeded their expectations.
"I wasn't nervous at all, and now I am like, 'yikes,'" King said before taking the stage.
But afterward, King's tune changed.
"That was so fun. We did it, we did it, we didn't fall. That was so fun. I am so proud of us."
King praised the Disney production team and cast members who helped them prepare, noting advice from 12-year-old Albert Rhodes Jr., who plays young Simba, who told her that falling during rehearsal was "good luck."
Glassman said the room felt different from rehearsal without an audience or staging versus when the audience was there.
"You feel emotion," Glassman said. "The moment they start singing and the giraffes are there ... I was mesmerized."
An extended version of their Broadway experience will be available on Oprah Daily on Aug. 12.
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