In the basement of a Seattle theatre, we get up close and personal with one of the world's most famous feathered friends.
"Hello. Welcome to the catacombs of the Paramount Theatre," Zazu says politely.
Greg Jackson is at the controls of this six-pound puppet with attitude.
"I just remember the first time I came running down the aisle with the Zazu kite, I heard a little kid go Zazu in the audience and I pretty much melted and was like, 'OK I really have to do a good job for these kids.'"
He says it is both thrilling and daunting to portray this iconic, beloved character. And it was one of his greatest challenges as an actor.
"It took a while. I would say it probably took twice as long for me to learn this role."
Greg's face is also visible to the audience. So he plays two parts simultaneously.
"And if you're focused is on yourself and what you're doing, you can forget what this (Zazu) is doing."
And there's a lot to remember when operating this intricate puppet.
"Zazu's got basically two points where I hold him. Here this handle here controls his head and his neck."
A trigger for his pointer finger manipulates the mouth. His thumb can make the bird blink. Under the tail Greg maneuvers the back end.
"He's got a lever here that controls his wings so he can fly." He says, showing underneath Zazu's tail feathers.
And if Zazu's wings somehow get clipped, that's when Michael Reilly steps in.
"Something different happens every single night. And it's my job to fix it, get it back on stage and make it look like nothin' ever happened," Michael says.
He is a literal "puppet master."
"The most challenging puppet probably is Scar. He's fully electronic. He's on blue tooth."
The actor wearing scar on his head wears a remote control around his finger that allows the mask to lean forward or back.
Scar's face is fashioned from carbon fiber. The mane is turkey feathers. And the menacing teeth?
"Not real teeth. They're just foam," says Michael.
And the big reveal? Zazu's neck is...a slinky!
"The Lion King" runs through January 6th at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.