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Circle of Life, On and Offstage

Peter Hargrave as Scar in The Lion King, North American tour, Disney. Photo: Matthew Murphy

For Peter Hargrave, the circle of life has come full circle both on and off the stage.

As the actor steps into the role of Scar in the North American Broadway Across Canada touring production of The Lion King, he’s also navigating a thrilling new chapter – fatherhood.

This full-circle moment for the new father comes as he returns to Alberta to perform in this month’s The Lion King musical. The majestic mountains of Banff are where Hargrave and his wife celebrated a milestone in their marriage while also making a life-changing decision only a short couple of years ago.

“This is where it all started,” Hargrave reflects. “My wife and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary in Banff and it’s where we decided to try to have a child. Now, returning to Alberta with our daughter feels full circle — it’s pretty magical.” Their daughter Ivy, just four months old, is already living a life more adventurous than most adults.

“She’s spent nearly equal time in New York and on the road,” Hargrave says. “She’s been to Disney World, a Major League Baseball game, and even her first zoo. By the time we reach Alberta, she’ll have been to 18 states and three provinces. She’s our little road warrior.”

Life on tour with a baby and a dog (a four-year-old shih tzu named Maddie) isn’t always easy, but Hargrave says the challenge is also a gift.

“Packing up every few weeks can be exhausting, but it also means we’re always experiencing something new. And that sense of adaptability has already rubbed off on our daughter — she can sleep anywhere, anytime,” he says, adding she inherited his sleep gene.

“We’re trying to embrace it like the adventure it is.”

It’s the season of babies for the Lion King tour — four babies under one year old are travelling with the cast currently, bringing new energy to an already tight-knit company.

“It means a lot to our ecosystem. Because we are a family show, we are many people’s first experience in theatre and oftentimes a reason for many families to get together to come see the show,” Hargrave says.

“This is a show about family. A lot of our audiences are multigenerational — parents bringing their kids after having seen the show when they were young. Now, we’ve got that spirit mirrored in our own cast.”

Hargrave was once one of those wide-eyed kids, which also spurred his interest in acting. When he was 11 years old, Hargrave saw The Lion King from the front row and was instantly hooked — another full-circle moment for the actor, who says he still often feels like a wide-eyed child watching magic for the first time.

“That’s when the theatre bug bit me,” he says. “I make my entrance just after ‘Circle of Life,’ and I still watch it like I’m that 11-year-old kid … it’s just amazing,” Hargrave adds.

Playing Scar, a character often labelled the villain, can be challenging, but Hargrave brings depth to the role.

“In the musical, Scar has one line that isn’t in the animated film: ‘Nobody loved me.’ That hits differently. I’ve always seen Scar as someone who felt second-best his whole life. That pain becomes power in all the wrong ways,” he says.

With parents who were marriage therapists, Hargrave grew up surrounded by conversations about human behaviour and can resonate with this coming-of-age tale even from the villain’s perspective.

“Villains are fascinating because you’re unpacking real pain. Understanding what drives them — jealousy, isolation, the feeling of being unworthy — it’s psychology in motion.”

His love for exploring character depth has found the perfect stage in The Lion King, a show rooted in universal themes – loss, legacy, and of course, the circle of life – which has been a case of art imitating life and life imitating art.

“We’ve experienced a lot on the road — losing loved ones, celebrating new births. Touring doesn’t pause for real life, but somehow, it becomes part of it. It’s a strange and beautiful rhythm.”

As Hargrave returns to Alberta with his family and castmates, he says he is most looking forward to enjoying Canada and its beauty.

“It will be exciting to make memories with our little girl.”

The Lion King takes over the Jubilee from July 30 to August 17. Grab tickets at jubileeauditorium.com

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