the simba experience

i wanted to watch 'billy elliot the musical'. but there were no good tickets available. the good seats were selling at $300. no way. so i settled for a musical that would be a visual delight.

i watched 'the lion king, the movie' about 13+yrs ago. i watched it while i was still assigned in davao, something i blogged about i was assigned in davao primarily because i was becoming a pain in my ex-boss' butt. he was one boss i had such a hard time dealing with. he was one who would berate me and other managers regardless of who was around. and we suspected him of carrying a clandestine affair with one of the reps. and when the talk was getting louder, he 'canned' me by sending me to far-off davao.

he was our GM. but i had lost all respect for him. everybody in the office was afraid of him. and they were all telling me to fight back. they wanted me to tell the owner of what he has been doing. and that i should be the one leading the team, not him. but i couldnt since i was 'marooned' on the island of mindanao. and i was afraid myself. i knew he knew of my preference. he had joked about it. i knew it wasnt beyond him to use that card.

but even as i was there in davao, i couldnt deny the weight on everybody's shoulders because of him. morale was low, and i could only just offer reassurances.

watching 'lion king, the movie' inspired me to 'take my rightful place' in the company. i was moved by the movie to action, to fight for what i believe in, to fight for the people. i truly empathized with simba as he came to the realization...

i boldly plotted my program, aware of the consequences (getting fired, humiliated possibly). but i had to tell the owner of what was happening. and he listened. in a month, the GM resigned. and the burden was lifted.

that was in end-1995, when he finally left. and after two more years of hardwork, the company started finally gaining momentum. morale was back. and the structure was put into place.

we have grown leaps and bounds since then. and i proudly look at where we are now. and i know that it was all of us working together.

it's fitting that i watched the musical today. it reminded me of what i have gone through, and what i have become.

on a side note, i am just amazed at the sheer creativity of disney in translating the movie, the animation into a theatrical experience. i love the way the animals were created, part puppetry, part costume design. the moving set with its center ramp that rises maybe two stories above was just amazing. it was a true experience.

i must admit that i had more fun at 'wicked'. maybe because i knew this story ahead. but somehow, wicked was well, wicked in its storyline! hehe. but im glad i was able to catch this show, possibly in its last year of running in broadway, both for entertainment and sentimental reasons!