Roaring back to China

We become engaged by both the method of storytelling as well as the story itself," she says.

The most dramatic scene in the musical is the stampede scene in which Mufasa is killed. The effect in the theater is electric, as thousands of wildebeests seem to be rushing straight at Simba and at the audience.

The illusion of thousands of racing animals is achieved with a canvas scroll and a series of large rollers, which was created by Taymor and set designer Richard Hudson. Wildebeests are painted on the scroll, and each roller is equipped with sculptures of the animals.

On each successive roller, the wildebeest sculptures are slightly larger, until, closest to the audience, dancers rhythmically move huge wildebeest masks.

This design creates a false perspective of great distance. When the scroll and rollers are moving, the audience seems to see waves of wildebeests driving forward.