[Photo provided to China Daily]

"It is thrilling to bring this production back to a part of the world that has been a major inspiration in my life," she adds.

The human beings that control the puppets and wear the animal masks are fully seen onstage. Taymor didn't hide the real actors and actresses because "as an audience member at The Lion King musical you have an important job: With your imagination, you are invited to mix the 'animal' with the human beings into a magical whole".

There are different kinds and sizes of puppets. For example, Zazu, the king's most trusted adviser, is a classical hand puppet and Timon, a wisecracking meerkat and the best friend of Pumbaa, a warthog, is based on the Japanese bunraku puppet.

"When the human spirit visibly animates an object, we experience a special, almost life-giving connection. Real human actors and puppets create the movements onstage together.