If you plan to see "Disney's The Lion King Jr." at Columbia High School, you might want to bring tissues. "Or bring an emotional support stuffed animal," joked Alayna Morales, a senior who portrays Sarabi in the show and is also one of the show's choreographers.

Her castmate Izaiah Manfred agreed, adding. "It's a really fun show, but it's also a very emotional show. You're going to experience a lot of emotions watching this show."

"Disney's The Lion King Jr." features the plot and music of the movie of the same name, explained Alexis Phillips, a junior who plays a lioness, is a member of the ensemble and is one of the choreographers of the show. "It's a shorter show. There's no intermission, and it packs everything into a tighter show, which is a little better for young audiences and young actors," she said.

Columbia's production features students in grades five through 12, said director Janet Wood. Sixth-grader Levi Spencer plays young Simba. A veteran of several other shows, Levi said his favorite scene in " Disney's The Lion King Jr." is the stampede, even though that's where Simba's father, Mufasa, is killed. "There's so much action in that scene," he said. "There's a lot going on, on stage."

Izaiah, a junior, portrays adult Simba and said he's especially excited to be a part of this show, since he missed his on-stage debut as an ensemble member in last year's musical, "Disney's Aladdin Jr." "I was diagnosed with COVID the day before the show opened," he remarked. "I'm so happy to be able to finally get to perform." He said his favorite scene is the musical number "Hakuna Matata," noting, "It's just a fun song and the choreography between me, Pumbaa and Timon is really fun."

For both Alexis and Alayna, handling the choreography has been challenging for several reasons, including the fact that the characters are animals. "There are so many different sizes to consider with the choreography, like elephants and giraffes," said Alayna. "It's been interesting choreographing for different body sizes."

She emphasized the complexity of the show. "We didn't realize how difficult a show this is to pull off when we first started," she said, adding that the challenges range from complex blocking to learning lyrics in Swahili. "At first, we were worried, but it's really turning out to be a great show."

And, she added, audiences are in for a special treat. "We have a big surprise that we will reveal at the show," she said, noting that it's something the school borrowed from Donegal's theater department. "You'll have to come to the show to see what it is."

"Disney's The Lion King Jr." will be performed at Columbia High School, 901 Ironville Pike, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, through Saturday, March 26, with an additional performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets will be available at the door.