--- title: Lion King Broadway Cast Performs Circle of Life on New York Subway description: Some people appreciate it, but others are strangely indifferent canonical: https://time.com/3092138/lion-king-cast-surprises-subway-riders-with-a-cappella-performance-of-the-circle-of-life/ author: Samantha Grossman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-08T14:40:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:48:30.734Z og:title: Watch the 'Lion King' Cast Surprise Subway Riders By Singing "The Circle of Life" og:description: Some people appreciate it, but others are strangely indifferent og:url: https://time.com/3092138/lion-king-cast-surprises-subway-riders-with-a-cappella-performance-of-the-circle-of-life/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8a800d3bf43e9cc3/69869ed8d0b6f2b4843059d8/screen-shot-2014-08-08-at-9-55-20-am.png?branch=production&width=988&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 988 og:image:height: 556 og:image:alt: Screen Shot 2014-08-08 at 9.55.20 AM og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch the 'Lion King' Cast Surprise Subway Riders By Singing "The Circle of Life" twitter:description: Some people appreciate it, but others are strangely indifferent twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8a800d3bf43e9cc3/69869ed8d0b6f2b4843059d8/screen-shot-2014-08-08-at-9-55-20-am.png?branch=production&width=988&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _Lion King_ Cast Surprises Subway Riders With A Cappella Performance of 'The Circle of Life' > Sponsored content. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Aug 8, 2014 2:40 PM UTC  by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Aug 8, 2014 2:40 PM UTC 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 ](http://time.com/45473/australian-lion-king-cast-circle-of-life/)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. Christopher Morris  Commuters wait for a train at 168th Street station in Manhattan, 1981. Christopher Morris  A commuter reading, 1981. Christopher Morris  A man sleeps in a subway car, 1981. Christopher Morris  A group of teens pose on the 6 train in the South Bronx, 1981. Christopher Morris  A young teen tags a D train subway car window in a South Bronx train yard, 1981. Christopher Morris  Commuters ascend and descend stairwells during rush hour, 1981. Christopher Morris  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. Christopher Morris  A commuter walks by a poster for the musical Dreamgirls and a Keith Haring chalk drawing, 1981. Christopher Morris  Members of the Guardian Angels volunteer anti-crime patrolers, 1981. Christopher Morris  A man is seen wearing headphones through a subway car window, 1981. Christopher Morris  A packed subway car during rush hour, 1981. Christopher Morris  A subway conductor exits the conductor's cabin, 1981. Christopher Morris  A man about to board a subway car, 1981. Christopher Morris  Discarded newspapers and trash on the floor of a subway car, 1981. 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