{"id":177211,"date":"2026-03-27T15:09:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/177211\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T15:09:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:09:50","slug":"mduduzi-madela-is-the-2nd-south-african-actor-to-play-simba-on-broadway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/177211\/","title":{"rendered":"Mduduzi Madela Is the 2nd South African Actor to Play Simba on Broadway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month,\u00a0longtime The Lion King<\/a> cast member Mduduzi Madela<\/a> assumed the role of Simba in the Tony-winning Disney musical at the
\nMinskoff Theatre.<\/p>\n

Madela had been in the ensemble of the Broadway company, covering the
\n role of Simba
\nsince 2013, after several years performing in the musical’s U.K. tour as
\n well as productions in Paris, Las
\nVegas, and the Netherlands. The actor, who is the second South African
\nartist to perform the role of Simba on Broadway (following Andile Gumbi<\/a>, who passed away in 2019), succeeded Vincent Jamal Hooper<\/a>. He was also featured in NPR’s\u00a0Tiny Desk concert<\/a> that spotlighted songs from\u00a0The Lion King.<\/p>\n

Madela currently shares the Minskoff stage with\u00a0Gavin Lee<\/a>
\n as Scar, Ntsepa Pitjeng-Molebatsi<\/a> as Rafiki, L. Steven Taylor<\/a> as
\nMufasa, Ben Jeffrey<\/a> as Pumbaa, Fred Berman<\/a> as
\nTimon, Pearl Khwezi<\/a> as Nala, Cameron Pow<\/a> as Zazu,\u00a0James Brown-Orleans<\/a> as Banzai, Bonita J.
\nHamilton as Shenzi, and Robb Sapp<\/a> as Ed. Also part of the company is Madela’s wife,\u00a0Nteliseng
\nNkhela, an ensemble member who also\u00a0covers the role of\u00a0Rafiki.<\/p>\n

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get
\nHere\u2014spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians,
\nand others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is
\nlive theatre\u2014Madela shares the role of his dreams, why he has such respect for parents who work on Broadway, and how “Circle of Life” elicits similar responses from audiences around the world.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mduduzi Madela in The Lion King
\n (ABC\/Paula Lobo)<\/p>\n

Where did you train\/study?
Mduduzi Madela:\u00a0I
\n started at an artist-in-residency program at the BAT Centre, then to
\nstudy music at Natal Technikon, now known\u00a0as University of KwaZulu Natal. Then
\nwent on to the American School of Modern Music (ASMM) in Paris, France.<\/p>\n

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful\/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
Mr.
\n Vusi Radebe, my English teacher at high school. He found and read one
\nof my compositions, which I\u2019d forgotten within my homework book. Then he
\nintroduced me to like-minded people within our school, with whom I then
\nformed a band.<\/p>\n

You first joined the
\nBroadway company in 2013 in the ensemble. What does it mean to you to be
\n taking over the role of Simba, especially since you are only the second
\n South African performer to do so?
Simba
\n is already a huge honor to play on a Broadway stage by its own right.
\nIt\u2019s an even rarer opportunity to be cast as a South African in the
\nrole\u2014that will always be the driving force for eight shows a week,
\nsometimes nine.<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite moment in the show for Simba? What makes that part particularly special?
Spoiler
\n alert: Simba is quite stubborn. But his community shows up for him in
\nmoments he can\u2019t even show up for himself. And when he officially
\nascends Pride Rock (at the end of the show), that marks a very earned
\nmoment for him and his community.<\/p>\n

You also
\n met your wife in the Broadway production. What are the challenges of
\nmanaging the Broadway schedule with marriage, especially if you are both
\n working?
We
\nhave two kids, and our oldest is already a fully formed dancer. We have
\nthree sitters on rotation and are quite fortunate for their kindness and
\n patience.<\/p>\n

You’ve starred in The Lion King in
\n South Africa, Las Vegas, the Netherlands, Paris, and more. Do you
\nnotice any difference in audience reaction from place to place?
It\u2019s
\n very special to experience the audience reaction in “Circle of Life,” the opening number. That\u2019s always similar\u2014it\u2019s the primal gasps, tears, and pointing out each moment that touches them. You can then tell if
\nthey\u2019ll come again because they missed other details.<\/p>\n

Do you have any dream stage roles or actors you would like to share the stage with?
I
\n went to a Johnny Clegg tribute concert at Gramercy Theatre in March 2025.
\n If they ever stage that as a\u00a0musical, I\u2019m calling dibs on the Sipho Mchunu
\n (Johnny\u2019s friend and collaborator) role\u2026wink\u2026wink.<\/p>\n

Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn\u2019t.
The
\n most trying time for me was 2020. During pandemic shutdowns and travel
\nbans, my wife and I lost both our mothers within a span of 48 hours, August
\n 10 and 11. <\/p>\n

What do you consider your big break?
No break is bigger than the first\u2026 Simba.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nhlanhla Nogbeni, Kellen Stancil, Andre Jackson, and Mduduzi Madela at the 20th anniversary celebration of The Lion King in 2017<\/p>\n

Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
Parents
\n who work on The Great White Way. You step outside the bubble everyday
\nso you can show up as a parent at home. All that demands full
\npresence.<\/p>\n

Tell me about a job\/opportunity you really wanted but didn\u2019t get. How did you get over that disappointment?
It
\n was an opportunity to submit for voiceover work, I didn\u2019t get it. I
\nlearned that maybe I should show up more for me, and to trust what I do
\nis authentically me. Repeated rejection adjusted me more as an artist.<\/p>\n

What do you think Broadway is currently getting right in terms of diverse casting and what still needs improvement?
Broadway
\n has been at the helm of bringing people from different walks of life
\nfor the sole purpose of telling a story. It\u2019s a major undertaking to be a
\n custodian for stories that show humanity, kindness, and grace. <\/p>\n

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
Your patience is always worth it.<\/p>\n

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
That it\u2019s always best to tone it down than to give more.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Lion<\/p>\n

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