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Upon its release in 1994, “The Lion King” was an instant success, captivating audiences worldwide with its stirring story and award-winning music on the way to becoming the highest grossing traditionally animated film of all time — a title the film still holds. Three years later, “The Lion King” extended its kingdom to Broadway where it went on to win six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. More than 5,000 shows later (and counting), the eighth longest-running show in Broadway history will continue its reign in Madison, where the musical will rule the Overture Center for nearly a month.

With such a storied history, it’s hard to believe there’s a living being out there unaware of Simba and his battle to reclaim the Pride Lands from his villainous uncle Scar after the death of his father, Mufasa. However, even the most diehard fans of the beloved classic are in for something new. Although the plot essentially remains the same — despite the presence of several new scenes — it’s the music, which includes film favorites plus plenty of new tracks, and extensive choreography that make “The Lion King” such a spectacular spectacle.

“The biggest difference certainly is the live aspect of it,” said Fred Klaisner, the production stage manager for the national tour. “It’s definitely musical theater as opposed to an animated movie that has some music in it. There are lots of African elements added to it, through the music especially.”

Yet, the most unique — and noticeable — difference in the musical adaptation is the presence of live actors to play the film’s animated characters. Originally deemed a near impossible task, director Julie Taymor and leading puppetry expert Michael Curry managed to find a balance between the globally recognized characters and human actors through the use of African-styled costumes and masks and more than 200 puppets, ranging from shadow to 5-foot tall creatures operated by three-man teams.

It won’t take long for this awe-inspiring balance to amaze audiences either — the opening “Circle of Life” sequence is one of the show’s most stunning, albeit challenging, numbers.

“The opening number is pretty famous actually; it’s quite something to see visually,” Klaisner said. “There’s a lot going on, so it’s probably the most difficult, but it’s also the most rewarding. People won’t ever forget it that’s for sure.”

The opening number is so show-stopping, in fact, that some audiences are already fully satisfied by the time the scene ends.

“When we went to Ohio, the opening number ended to a sound almost like an explosion as the lights blacked out and the audience went crazy. Then it got quiet and a little girl turns to her father and she said, ‘Is there more?'” Klaisner laughed. “I thought that was pretty cool because apparently that was enough for her. It’s pretty amazing.”

For those worried the Overture Center production won’t live up to such high expectations: Two words, “Hakuna Matata.” Although this is the first time “The Lion King” has come to Madison, audiences can rest assured the national tour not only stays true from city to city, but also matches up to the Broadway production.

“I’ve been on several national tours, and this production looks remarkably like its Broadway counterpart. Often, tours pall in resemblance to what’s showing on Broadway by the very nature of travelling. But they’ve figured out stuff for this show that I’m really proud of. It’s going into its eighth year and it still looks remarkably like the Broadway show,” said Klaisner, who has worked the past five “Lion King” national tours in addition to stints with popular musicals like “Show Boat,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hair.”

Although the national tour looks the same onstage, it does have some differences behind the scenes from the Broadway production. The most noticeable change is the musical’s iconic Pride Rock, a colossal set piece with a life of its own.

“On Broadway and in the Las Vegas production, the rock is on an elevator and comes up through the stage floor. We obviously can’t do that as we go from venue to venue,” Klaisner said. “So what we have is a rock that is like a big wireless toy with a massive amount of computer technology that weighs about 5,000 pounds. It’s quite an incredible piece of work.”

A former Beaver Dam resident who finished high school in Milwaukee, Klaisner said he’s excited to be heading home and looking forward to bringing a tour to Madison that, regardless of age, familiarity with the film or theatergoing experience, offers up plenty of reasons why you just can’t wait to see “King.”

“It’s really something that a lot of first time theatergoers go to, because of what they know of the movie and they are fascinated by it,” Klaisner said. “It’s got a universal theme about a son and his father and him finding himself. It’s lush. It’s beautiful. It’s certainly something that you’ve never seen before, and you won’t see anything like it for a long, long time.”

“The Lion King” opens Tuesday, April 27 at the Overture Center and runs through Sunday, May 23. Visit www.overturecenter.com for tickets and more information.