Sarabi

I appreciate your time.

Vernon also performs alongside another New Orleanian, Jennifer Theriault, who plays Sarabi.

And that's Louisiana Considered for today.

Thanks to our guests, Stephanie Grace, Editorial Director and columnist for the Times-Picayune The Advocate, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins, and Vernon Brooks III, New Orleans native and cast member in The Lion King.

Nikita Kalam Harris and Maura Kelly as Nala.

Madge Sinclair as Sarabi.

Rowan Atkinson as Zazu.

Jim Cummings as Ed and some additional voices.

And by January 19th of 1990, we're back to calling it King of the Beasts.

But with a few other details.

So Simba's parents, Mufasa and Sarabi.

Nala is now introduced.

Mm

... 'cause we have to have, like, Mufasa, and Sarabi, and Nala.

Like, you have all these people that need to come in.

It's not just, like, lead plus a bunch of comic relief plus villain.

Yeah, no, I was here for like all of the live action Lion King casting.

I mean, like obviously like here for Beyoncé.

The second I heard the words Alfre Woodard is Sarabi, I was like in, done.

And Z- Zazu is Michu.

They took a two-story space.

I mean, Sarabi on the Destiny is beautiful.

It's Lion King theme, but it's very, very loosely themed.

Mm-hmm.

And I wasn't, and I didn't even...

Sarabi.

Mary, Ma- I was gonna say-

Oh

... you better do it as Scar screaming it.

Sarabi.

Oh, it's because I studied a little harder than m- you know-

[laughs]

of that is

because the hyenas were just so comical too in the original and even though they had comic actors playing them again in this movie they were actually a bit more serious so it felt like a real conversation people were having in a room or somewhere so I thought that was great it felt very grounded and real another scene I think the scene that stands out to me the most is the showdown when Scar is, you know, getting into a scuffle with Sarabi, and then Simba shows up, and then Scar starts trying to gaslight Simba.

I don't remember if that exact scene was in the original, but the way Chiwetel played it was a lot different.

It stood out, I think.

...

Sarabi was the name of Simba's mother.

Um, a legless lizard is actually not a snake.

It is a lizard.

...

Sarabi, the queen of the Pride Lands and the mate of Mufasa.

Aw.

No, UK.

[laughs]

UK.

Sarabi.

[laughs] The queen.