Oliver Woon, 10, plays Young Simba in Toronto production of The Lion King

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. 

His mother, Ms Eleanor Sim, 49, says: “On the days when he is in the afternoon and evening shows, Oliver gets home only close to midnight, and he has to get up for school the next day.”

She acknowledges that juggling both activities was initially tough on the St Mark Catholic Elementary School pupil.

“There were tears on some mornings, but we made it very clear at the start that if at any point he cannot handle both, he would have to give up the show,” says Ms Sim.

She adds: “Thankfully, he has got used to the rhythm of things and is managing well. We are always amazed by how much he took to performing on stage.”

Oliver had to miss school for about two months when The Lion King’s rehearsals started in September, as practices took place on Mondays to Saturdays from 10.30am to 6.30pm.

During that period, his principal and teachers gathered teaching materials for his parents to homeschool him. He returned to school only after opening night, when his performance schedule was fixed.

These days, he misses school mostly on Wednesdays, when there is a matinee and evening show.

Despite the academic disruption, Ms Sim says “elementary school here is very manageable and there are no exams”.

She adds: “His school is very understanding and it is very proud of his accomplishments. There’s a lot of coordination with his teacher, and she tries her best to schedule the more critical stuff when he’s around. We are grateful for the school community.”

Oliver is the only child of Singaporean business owners Ms Sim and Mr Greg Woon, 48. The family migrated to Canada in 2015, before Oliver turned two.

The boy has always enjoyed singing and, at eight years old, joined the junior troupe at Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

 

A fan of musicals, particularly Wicked – his favourite song is Defying Gravity – Oliver auditioned to play one of the kids in the Toronto production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2022, but did not make the cut. 

The following year, his parents sent in his audition tape to the West End production of Matilda.

“He received a callback, and we flew to London to audition in person,” says Ms Sim. “He made it to the final round, but was cut again.”

They subsequently enrolled him in Harriet Chung Performing Arts (HCPA), a school for dance and musical theatre in Stouffville, Ontario, in 2023 so that he could improve his footwork. 

He attended “triple threat” classes in dancing, singing and acting, as well as hip-hop lessons.

Every Sunday, the Woons would make an hour’s drive to HCPA where Oliver would train for three hours. 

After a year of lessons at HCPA, his theatre teacher told Oliver about the open-call audition for The Lion King and encouraged him to try for the experience. 

To prepare for the audition, Oliver spent hours researching the role by watching YouTube videos and reviewing how other child actors played Young Simba.

He also had one coaching session with his theatre teacher on singing, delivering the lines and movement specific to Young Simba.

His hard work and his parents’ dedication eventually paid off – winning the part and being a cast member of The Lion King is a dream come true.

Although he wishes to become a Broadway actor when he grows up, he says his aspirations often change, from wanting to have his own architectural firm to being an author to working in his favourite ice cream shop. 

Oliver, who is learning to play the piano and guitar, is committed to playing The Lion King until the end of the run – and more, if the show is extended. 

He says: “It’s an eye-opener to be behind the scenes. It takes so much to put such a show together, and I love how everyone plays their part to make the magic happen.”

He adds: “It is fun because I get to meet so many people who, like me, love theatre and performing. I don’t want it to end.”