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Lion King Cast Surprises Subway Riders With A Cappella Performance of ‘The Circle of Life’

Some people appreciate it, but others are strangely indifferent

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W9QMM_nTuC4]

Most New Yorkers just kind of sigh impatiently and bury their noses in a book or a smartphone when they see subway performers start to sing or dance, which is understandable. But it’s a different story when it’s actual BROADWAY PERFORMERS.

On an A train earlier this summer, members of the The Lion King cast surprised commuters with a beautiful a cappella performance of “The Circle of Life.” The singers were scattered around the car, initially blending in with the normals. But then, surprise! They’re actually Tony Award-winning Broadway actors launching into a spirited rendition of a classic tune.

Some riders get pretty into it, singing along and tapping their feet, while others act almost annoyed by the disruption. Some even keep their earbuds in! Like, seriously you guys? This is awesome and you should appreciate it.

If you’re hoping to catch one of these impromptu performances, it might happen again, since the Australian cast did something similar on a plane back in April. We just ask that you take off your headphones, put down your book, and actually enjoy the show.

Grit, Grime and Graffiti: Christopher Morris on the New York Subway, 1981

The following previously unpublished photos were taken by Christopher Morris in 1981: A woman walks through a heavily graffitied subway car, 1981. Commuters wait for a train at 168th Street station in Manhattan, 1981. A commuter reading, 1981. A man sleeps in a subway car, 1981. A group of teens pose on the 6 train in the South Bronx, 1981. A young teen tags a D train subway car window in a South Bronx train yard, 1981. Commuters ascend and descend stairwells during rush hour, 1981. A woman waits to board a train pulling into a station, 1981. Graffiti on the outside of subway cars was usually more elaborate than that inside. A commuter walks by a poster for the musical Dreamgirls and a Keith Haring chalk drawing, 1981. Members of the Guardian Angels volunteer anti-crime patrolers, 1981. A man is seen wearing headphones through a subway car window, 1981. A packed subway car during rush hour, 1981. A subway conductor exits the conductor's cabin, 1981. A man about to board a subway car, 1981. Discarded newspapers and trash on the floor of a subway car, 1981.

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