Disney's 'The Lion King,' returns to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts

Twenty-three years after launching its first tour in Denver, Disney's "The Lion King" is once again playing the Buell Theatre. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is already rapidly selling tickets to the show, which is only in town until November 16.

Ahead of their opening night, the cast and crew of the show invited CBS News Colorado for a backstage tour of their production. The musical, based on the original film, is one of the most successful live musical productions of all time.

Michelle Scalpone, stage manager for the tour, walked CBS News Colorado through the Buell Theatre to show how the production operates. While doing so, she showed the hundreds of costumes, puppets and more than help bring the Disney movie to life on stage any given night.

The musical has played more than 10,000 times around the world and continues to be a fan favorite.

The production helps tell the story of animals through puppets, in which the cast largely wear as part of their costumes. Some of the puppets require up to four people to operate, while others, like 14-foot-tall giraffes, are operated by individuals.

Watch the video reports featured in this article for a rare behind-the-scenes view of the production.

If you would like tickets to see The Lion King at the DCPA, visit https://www.denvercenter.org/tickets-events/lion-king/

CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.