Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., San Francisco. Tickets start at $50. Runs through Jan. 13, 2013.
Simba and the rest of Pride Rock returned to San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre with full force. Featuring a great combination of Broadway cast members and touring cast members, “The Lion King” was an excellent performance overall.

Most people know the story. There is the great lion king Mufasa (Dionne Randolph), doomed to die at the paws of his own brother, the jealous Scar (the talented Derek Smith). His young son Simba (Adante Power) is banished from Pride Rock by hyenas, believed to be dead. Simba eventually meets friends and allies in Timon the meerkat (Nick Cordileone) and Pumba the flatulent warthog (Ben Lipitz) and roars back to claim his throne.

The mandrill character Rafiki (Buyi Zama) was played by a female lead for the musical, which was an interesting twist. The talented Zama pulled off her character quite well, from kicking things off with a wonderful rendition of “The Circle of Life” and inspiring young Simba to return to Pride Rock.

The standout character, however, was the man behind Scar. Derek Smith was the funniest, snarkiest, most villainous stage character out of the entire cast. He was able to portray Scar as a sarcastic and manipulative genius.

In addition to the all-star cast, great use of creative lighting, puppetry, and African music helped the musical soar.

Safari animals depicted by puppets danced around the stage as lights flashed and smoke curled out. The accompaniment of an Afro-Caribbean orchestra perfectly accentuated the performance with chants, drumbeats, and a wave of sound.

The only hiccup was during the Scar and Simba’s climatic battle. Scar’s tail ended up getting stuck on a prop and there was a brief, awkward moment as he paused to yank it out.

Overall, “The Lion King” is a must-see, well-produced musical, one of many to grace San Francisco.