THE LION KING isn't color blind casting for many roles. And they are CONSTANTLY looking for kids, because:
1) The kids grow up.
2) The kids' voices change.
3) Kids are kids, they'll leave the show if they're not having fun.
LION KING also looks for actors with puppetry experience.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle