Disney probably didn’t realize what a brand name it could make out of “The Lion King” when it was released as an animated feature in 1995. However, two years after that, the musical version opened on Broadway and, nine years later, it’s still there. This is the first stop in Des Moines for “The Lion King,” which opened Friday evening and will run for six weeks, the longest the Civic Center has ever hosted a show.

Judging from the audience’s warm reception of the show Saturday night, many people felt the wait was worthwhile. From the beginning, “The Lion King” proves it is unlike any other show. It opens with the musical number “Circle of Life,” as African animals wind their way through the audience and onto the stage in a breathtaking parade.

The story is based entirely on the animated film. Simba is a lion cub who will take over as king when his father, Mufasa, dies. However, his uncle, Scar, has different plans for the monarchy and sets about to change the line of succession. As a result, Simba leaves the Pridelands and meets the colorful meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa. In the end, they, along with his childhood friend Nala, help him choose whether to return and reclaim his throne.

The musical plays out almost like a melodrama. Not only is it more dramatic than the film, but the audience had big reactions to the story. They became very involved in the characters, laughing and booing at different ones. The animals seem larger-than-life not only because of the costumes, but because they are more extreme than their real-life counterparts. Some scenes are much darker than in the film, while others are funnier.

Larry Yando is supremely evil as Scar, providing a shady contrast to Rufus Bonds Jr.’s performance as Mufasa. Simba and Nala each feature two actors, one for the young and adult characters. Although Wallace Smith provided a heroic and conflicted adult Simba, equal credit has to go to the spunky performance of Michael Nino Locke Jr. as young Simba. Much of the humor of this live version, like the animated movie, came from bird Zazu, here played by Derek Hasenstab, and Timon and Pumbaa, played by Damien Baldet and Phil Fiorini, respectively.

However, the spectacle is the real show stealer. The story is familiar to most, and that isn’t what most people talk about after seeing the musical version of “The Lion King.” It’s what the audience sees that becomes really memorable and gossip-worthy, and here, there’s certainly a lot to fuel conversation.

The show provides an interesting dichotomy between the advanced puppetry and costumes and the simplistic artistry. It’s amazing to see actors become these animals by wearing elaborate costumes. They “fly” as birds on lines over the audience and become leaping gazelle or prowling cheetahs. There are even two life-size giraffes created by actors on stilts and an elephant that takes several people to walk through the seats and up the stage stairs.

On the other hand, the simple African design elements provide a regality that are unique, as well. They aren’t overly technological, but they are visually powerful, using actors as the grasslands and pieces of fabric to create the sun, desert and sky. Most of the technology comes from the actors themselves, such as when many cast members become the charging wildebeest streaming down from a cliff.

Fans of the Disney film will find much to please them. All of the original movie’s songs are in the musical, but they seem much more emotional because they feature moving African rhythms and elements.

However, even those who don’t appreciate the movie will find the musical a feast to watch. The amazing spectacle and experience is what really gives “The Lion King” its roar and bite.