In street duds, actor Geno Segers commands attention with his imposing physique — at 6-feet-4 and 270 pounds, he looks like a running back — and a gentle demeanor, complete with sparkling eyes and an inviting, friendly smile.

Then there's That Voice. It's a mellow bass that resonates — and turns heads.

That Voice is taking Segers, 40, on a journey of a lifetime as he plays one of the benchmark roles in musical theater — Mufasa, king of the jungle, in "The Lion King" — and delivers his fatherly "They Live in You" solo.

His is a remarkable tale, considering "The Lion King" is his first-ever stage endeavor. He was initially in the ensemble (part of the grass brigade) before moving up to the lord of Pride Rock.

He got the gig after auditioning in New Zealand, having given up a rugby stint. A business colleague urged him to try out for "The Lion King" because of That Voice.

"I was determined to survive 45 seconds of my audition," recalled Segers, sitting in an empty Blaisdell Concert Hall.

"They heard my voice in the hallway," he said, "and the audition folks hurried through a lot of other people, I guess eager to hear me sing."

He made his 45 seconds, commonly time enough for casting ears to find the "it" in a wannabe, and more. "Forty-eight minutes," Segers said.

That led him to a slot in the Australian company in Sydney in 2003, a subsequent tour to Shanghai and a return to Melbourne, where he first became Mufasa. He joined the Cheetah Company, the crew now here, and he's seeing many cities and packed houses.

Pretty good for an ex-jock theater rookie.

"Ex-rugby player, ex-football player, ex-full-contact wrestler," he said. "No theater experience."

He said sports was physically exhaustive. "But 'The Lion King' has a different kind of energy and pressure," he said. "There's pressure not to fail, not to disappoint, wanting to make sure I do the best as I can, to let it all come together. To release and let go and give way to the fantasy. To make sure that the experience rings true, vibrating to everyone in the theater."

His jock days meant he had to adjust to theater ways. "I'm in front of so many people — and no one is trying to hurt me. Except Scar (the antagonist, played by Kevin Gray), who hurts me every night, but that's OK. That's the sad thing, to think that you can't be in front of a lot of people watching without thinking someone's going to hurt you (like in sports)," he said.

Segers, originally from Winston-Salem, N.C., played for the U.S.A. Rugby League team in the Emerging Nations World Cup in England in 1995 and the Coca-Cola World Sevens in Sydney in 1994. While in college, he was an All American Division One linebacker at Eastern Carolina.

Maybe it's his competitive sports perspective, maybe he's an idealist, but he's constantly searching for perfection.

"I want to do two really good shows back to back," said Segers. "The closest to the perfect show I ever did was the first show I ever did. I don't think I'll get that feeling again. But I'm trying."

His favorite Mufasa moment is when he explains to his son Simba (Trevor Jackson and Nicholas L. Ashe alternate in the role) about the richness of life — and its challenges.

"It's the day-with-dad scene," he said. "Mufasa is explaining to Simba that one day, this kingdom is going to be yours; one day, the sun will set on my time and will rise on you as the new king. It's a positive moment, a good time for me, and I enjoy each and every night I do this."

It's also a moment that makes him think of his own son, 7, who lives with his mom in Australia. He hopes the boy, who wants to one day play Young Simba since he knows the music, will come to see the show before the Hawai'i run ends Dec. 9.

"I can't let my emotions hinder my performance," said Segers, who can't help but think of the father-son issue. "It can get the best of me at times, and I don't want anyone's experience to be tainted by my lack of control, you know, of tearing up. Realistically, during the scene under the stars, when Mufasa is disciplining Simba, it's kinda hard not to get emotional. And some nights, I get emotional."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.