Local theater students take a trip to Pride Rock, talk with Simba, Nala, and Rafiki

In celebration of Black History Month, the Hippodrome Foundation and Disneys The Lion King held an event with theater students from local middle and high schools, and Morgan State University. About 300 students were invited downtown to the Hippodrome Theater for a panel discussion with the cast, including the actors who play Simba, Nala and Rafiki, and the resident director for the Lion King tour, Baltimores own Keith Bennett. They shared how they got their roles and gave some advice to the students on how to be successful in show business.

Use that word, act, you know, a, c, t, Bennett says. You have to be accountable. And if youre accountable, you have to be credible. And your credibility comes in your ability to be accountable. And then that t, you have to take charge. They were also treated to performances of some of the musicals most popular songs, including Can You Feel The Love Tonight.

Im going into the next phase of my life, graduation, and I hope to do what theyre doing some day, says Faith Olajumoke Olot, senior theater major at Morgan State University. So it was really inspiring just to hear them share their story, how they got here, and yeah, I learned a lot.