S'porean Oliver Woon picked to play Young Simba

The 10-year-old, who moved to Canada with his parents in 2015, beat hundreds of children to win the coveted role in the Toronto production of The Lion King

- Joanne Soh

Back in May 2024, a nervous, anxious yet excited Oliver Woon belted out the song, I Just Can't Wait To Be King, from The Lion King musical in front of a panel of casting directors.

The 10-year-old Singaporean was among hundreds of children auditioning for the role of Young Simba in the Toronto production of the award-winning stage show.

"It was nerve-racking because you have so little time to impress the casting people with whatever you've got," Oliver, who lives in the Canadian city, tells The Straits Times via e-mail.

After four rounds of intense auditions over a month, where he had to sing the same song and deliver dialogue from the musical, Oliver was cast alongside two Canadian children. The trio take turns to play the cub character.

Based on the 1994 animated Disney film of the same name, The Lion King centres on prodigal lion Simba who fights to reclaim his pride from his villainous uncle Scar.

Since its Broadway premiere in 1997, it has played in over 100 cities in 28 countries and continues to be one of the highest-grossing shows on Broadway.

Young Simba appears in Act 1 and belts two iconic tunes - I Just Can't Wait To Be King and Hakuna Matata.

The Toronto run premiered at the Princess of Wales Theatre on Nov 2, 2024, and will end its run on Aug 30, 2025.

Oliver has since performed in 25 shows, averaging three out of eight shows a week. He is also on standby for three other shows in a week.

Despite the adrenaline rush he gets on stage, the boy admits that performing and waiting can be tiring.