ALEXANDRA Hills pianist Shane Calderbank, 27, will discover the other side of The Lion King when he sees the show with his wife in January.
Shane is the deputy player for keyboard one in the orchestra pit of the show, and is enjoying the challenge of its African "rhythm grooves". In between the shows, he has also teamed with a cast member doing a bit of jazz jamming.
"It's a challenging and an exciting opportunity to work with other musicians, to work together and to create the best sound we can," Shane said.
But Shane is equally keen to "sit on the other side".
"It will be interesting to see how the music fits in with the production. We don't get to see that," he said.
Shane also played for the Wicked production, teaches keyboard at two schools and regularly gigs with Sarah Collier, the Oz Hornz and Amy Michaels.
The Lion King is being performed at QPAC and runs until January 25. Tickets are from $50 to $150 and can be booked on 136 246.