honor Black heritage and culture through music, food, art, and more, all taking place at the Happiest Place on Earth.Part of that cultural celebration is recognizing the Black creators that help make it all possible.
Disneyland’s newest show, Tale of the Lion King, now running Thursday through Monday at the Fantasyland Theatre, is a prime example of Disney magic created by Black women.
While previewing the new show ahead of its opening, ESSENCE spoke with Shemika Draughan, hair and makeup designer behind the style of the show’s dancers and actors, and Chef Natalie Willingham, the mastermind behind the culinary experience accompanying the performance.“I’m super excited to be working on the show at this level, and super super excited to incorporate natural hair styling and just showing such a variety of styles and textures,” Draughan said.
For the cosmetology manager, the vision was all about being realistic and demonstrating styles that are recognizable for the audience as what is seen and worn in our day-to-day lives, while incorporating the look seamlessly into the story of The Lion King. “For the dancers, most of my inspiration came from them,” she shared. “We wanted to be true to their individuality.
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