DENVER - What weighs 120 pounds,  is made of aluminum and bent cane and takes three people to control?  

It's the star of the Tony Award winning play "War Horse."

Joey is so real you almost forget he's a puppet.

A team of 3 people bring the horse to life.

"We get to dance, we get to vocalize, we get to act, we get to puppetry. It's a really cool job in that sense. We get a little bit of everything all thrown into the pot to make the horse live," said puppeteer Jon Riddleberger.

The actors on stage complete the illusion, according to Riddleberger.

"When they touch the horse they're not touching cane, they're touching fur. And that whole process of imagination, I think is exciting. I think the audience is very much a part of that. I think it  surprises the audience members how much they care for the horse. I think that is because they're creating the horse with us," said Riddleberger.

"War Horse" is based on a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo. Director Steven Spielberg made it into a move in 2011.  

"War Horse" the play is at the Buell through January 20.
 
For more information, visit www.denvercenter.org.