Disney's "The Lion King" musical is in the midst of its month-long run in San Diego, bringing hundreds of actors, dancers, costumers and stagehands to the Civic Theatre.
KPBS/Arts took a behind-the-scenes tour to find out what it takes to put such a grand show like this together.
Meet The Puppetmaster
Really, that's how Michael Reilly refers to himself. He's in charge of the 230 puppets used in "The Lion King."
"That means painting, or sculpting, electronics work, engineering . . . it's kind of endless, the amount of hats you have to wear," he said.
Reilly went to trade school, learning everything from auto mechanics to woodwork. That's how he's able to fix wiring in Scar's mask one day, then touch up the paint on Simba's mask the next.
He also trains the actors to work with the puppets, but admits that some are easier than others.
"If you have a mask sitting on top of your head, you just need to be aware that it's there and what it represents," he explained. "Other puppets, like Zazu, have more moving parts. The actors have to make sure the puppets talk when the humans talk, to make sure they blink every now and then, make it look alive."
Sinister Scar takes the most amount of time and training thanks to "a lot of microcircuitry." The actor playing the wicked Lion is strapped with lots of wires, and Reilly also has to take care of the painting and upkeep of the mask.
His favorite, though, is Mufasa - the king of Pride Rock: "He's symmetrical and round and he represents the circle of life."
Head of Wardrobe: Gregory Young
Gregory Young, head of wardrobe for "The Lion King," knows the musical better than practically anyone on the planet.
Young and his staff of 16 dressers and two assistants rely on cues to know which costumes need to be set out and ready for the actors to rush backstage and change into. They know every word and every song.
And the job doesn't end there.
Young has to train the local costume staff to identify the costumes, show them how each one works and how to put them on the performers, plus teach them how to store the costumes in a very detailed and complicated system.
"Each performer has a number, and then each costume has a letter," Young explained as he stood in the "wardrobe bunker."
Each dresser is responsible for helping three cast members get in and out of their outfits, which can get complicated because many ensemble members have between 11 and 14 costume changes.
And if a new performer joins the cast? The costumes have to be custom made to fit.
"We have five different costume shops in New York working on all the shows going on around the world," he said. "One of them is dedicated to just doing lion costumes."
Young started with "The Lion King" when it originally debuted on Broadway in 1997, and he's been traveling with the touring production for the last 7 years.
He said the costumes haven't changed very much, but the way they're made definitely has.
"In the beginning, everything was delicate," he said. "But we soon found out that those delicate silks didn't travel well and couldn't be washed. So the fabrics now are sturdier and made for the road."
The Most Versatile Ensemble Member
Dancer Amyia Burrell plays 14 different parts in "The Lion King," among them are Zebra, Hyena and Lioness.
But juggling the many styles of dance comes naturally for her.
"I trained in everything - ballet, modern, African - I was always that kid who did all the classes," she said. "I always tell young dancers to do everything because you never know what you'll be asked to do."
Burrell was working at Disney World when she auditioned for a part in "The Lion King" 10 years ago. Since then, she's been on the road performing across the United States and Canada.
"I don't really have a home base," she said. "I basically live out of my car. But I love traveling. And because our shows generally stay in a city for about four weeks, I feel like I get to be a resident in all these different places."
The Locals
About 10 years ago Michelle Camaya, a graduate of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, got cast in "The Lion King" on Broadway and she came back to her high school to talk about life as a performer.
Sitting in the classroom was aspiring actress Chondra Profit Ardrey. After hearing Camaya speak, she went home and created vision boards filled with "Lion King" photos and inspirational messages to help her one day get cast in the show.
A few years later, Ardrey landed a role as Simba's mother, Sarabi, on Broadway. She's in San Diego temporarily to perform that role, and Camayo happens to be in the show, too.
