Flutist Darlene Drew is instrumental to the characters of “The Lion King,” playing 13 flutes at each performance. Her music represents each animal character and sounds from Peru, China, Ireland and Africa, of course. 

Her instruments accompany her wherever she goes with the touring show, which opens this weekend and continues through Sept. 29 at the Benedum Center, Downtown. But they’re not Drew’s only companions as she drives from city to city. There’s Percy, aka Percival Pupster, or, as the photogenic Shetland sheepdog is known on Facebook, Percy the Traveling Farm Dog.

In Pittsburgh as in most tour stops, "Mommy" Drew and Percy will stay at an Airbnb. Traveling with Percy is easy compared to a previous companion.

“I’m kind of known for taking my horse on tour,” she says by phone.

“It was fine,” she adds of the one-time trip from her Illinois farm to Texas and back, “but you have to keep stopping because you can’t keep a horse in a trailer for too long. The horse handled it really well and I’m glad I did it, but I wouldn’t do that again.” 

As much as she loves her job, Drew admits that her idea of a vacation is being at home on the farm. Work is traveling, “which is kind of backwards,” she says, “but I do love visiting new places.” This will be her second time in Pittsburgh.

When she’s not on the farm or traveling with “The Lion King,” Drew has been a freelance flute player in Chicago for the past 30 years. She has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet, and has served as principal flute and soloist with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra for more than 20 years. She also performs and has recorded a CD with her chamber ensemble, Trio Elan.

“The Lion King” is now an integral part of her work experience, and one she never tires of, after 16 years and “a couple of thousand performances, at least.”

Her journey with the show began in 2003, when she was invited to see it in Los Angeles, before it arrived in her hometown. “And then I went out and got all the instruments, and I was ready to go when the show came to Chicago.”

She has used as many as 15 flutes, but now that it is down to 13, she has been thinking about adding one. “You know, like elevators don’t have a 13th floor.”

Drew may be a homebody at heart, but the music she produces is a world tour each night. “Although it takes place in Africa, it’s a story that can apply all around the world. So the music reflects that. ”

The various flutes represent the different characters, from young Simba to his evil uncle, Scar.

“I have a very long, low bass pan flute that is used a number of times to depict Scar,” she says. “When you play it into a mic it’s very sinister. Then I have this teeny tiny Chinese flute that’s even smaller than a piccolo that evokes young Simba. And then I have a velvety E-flat Irish flute that evokes Rafiki.”

The flutes are color-coded and always in the same place for each performances. That begs the question: Have you ever picked up the wrong flute and begun to play?

She says she has managed to “cover it over” the few times it has happened, and make it work.

Few would notice such minor glitches. The songs of “The Lion King” are some of Disney’s best known tunes. “Circle of Life” often tops the list of the company’s best-loved songs and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” was a break-out pop hit. And any parent whose child has come of age with the musical knows by heart songs such as “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Hakuna Matata,” which features a flute solo.

Oscar winner Hans Zimmer orchestrated Elton John’s music for the original animated film. He also contributed to the stage show, which incorporates additional music by South African composer Lebo M.

Drew notes that the music “really brings the African Savanna character out in the show, even more than in the movie, in my opinion.”

From her seat with the orchestra, Drew can see the faces of audience members in the first row, their joy and surprise, especially during the opening scene. She gets giddy talking about the looks on their faces.

“Even after all these years — this is my third ‘Lion King’ company — it never ceases to amaze me,” she says. “You can never get tired of it.”

Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter: @SEberson_pg. Sign up for the PG performing arts newsletter Behind the Curtain at Newsletter Preferences.

First Published: September 3, 2019, 4:44 p.m.