Apparently, we decided that one show in a day just wasn’t enough. Nope. We went full theatre marathon mode and booked ourselves two plays in Toronto — one in the afternoon, one in the evening — because clearly our applause muscles needed a workout.

The afternoon kicked off with Pride & Prejudice (sort of). And “sort of” is the key here. This was not the Jane Austen you read in high school. This was Austen if she had a karaoke machine, a snarky group of friends, and absolutely no fear of breaking the fourth wall. It was smart, silly, and just the right amount of ridiculous — the kind of performance that makes you grin like you’re in on the joke (because you totally are).

We grabbed a quick dinner, which felt a bit like refueling before the next leg of a theatrical triathlon, and then it was off to the big one — The Lion King. And wow. The moment “Circle of Life” started, with those incredible costumes and puppets flooding the stage, it was pure magic. You could feel the bass in your chest, see the wonder in every corner of the stage, and almost smell the savannah (or maybe that was just the popcorn from the lobby). It was bold, beautiful, and left us humming the songs all the way back out into the Toronto night.

By the end of the day, we’d traveled from Elizabethan England (sort of) to Pride Rock and back — without ever leaving our seats. Two completely different worlds, both unforgettable. My only regret? We didn’t plan a third show.