New York

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Concrete Boom Volume 3

Concrete Temple Theatre and Dixon Place

Dixon Place
161A Chrystie St
New York, NY
https://dixonplace.org/performances/concrete-boom-3/

Three nights of cutting edge puppetry & visual theatre curated by Concrete Temple Theatre.
Concrete Temple Theatre launched Concrete Boom in 2018 to advance their goal of increasing the quality and prevalence of visual theatre works in NYC by supporting visual theatre works in their development. Visual theatre expresses ideas, thoughts, and feelings through puppetry, movement, images, mask work, scenography, and more.
The Programs…
Tues, Nov 19 at 7:30pm – runtime approx. 60 min
Featuring Tau Bennett, J Hann, and Max Mooney with host Mecca Akbar
*J Hann is presenting Bequeathed, Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant (2024)
Thurs, Nov 21 at 7:30pm – runtime approx. 90 min
Featuring Aluma cie de Théâtre, Emily Batsford, Kirk Bixby, Camille Cooper, Emmanuel Elpenord, and Amanda Szeglowski (cakeface) with hosts Mecca Akbar & Carlo Adinolfi
Fri, Nov 22 at 7:30pm – runtime approx. 70 min
Amanda Card, Jesse Marsh, Nat Marvan, Vinny Mraz, Nico Negron, Brendan Schweda, Samantha Sing, Tom Tuke, and Ash Winkfield with host Sandra Parris

November 19 - 22, 2024
7:30PM

$10-$50

Dead as a Dodo *

Wakka Wakka

Photo by: Richard Termine

Baruch Performing Arts Center
55 Lexington Avenue (25th Street between Lexington and Third)
New York, NY
https://www.wakkawakka.org

Deep within the underworld, two skeleton friends, a Dodo and a boy, tirelessly dig for fresh bones. Their ancient skeletal forms are deteriorating and without them they will disappear completely. One day something peculiar happens: The Dodo miraculously sprouts feathers! A wave of transformation begins, shattering the established order of the dead. As the Dodo continues to grow flesh, fear and chaos erupt The two friends must flee, fighting to stay together as they are drawn into the heart of an epic battle between life and death. Infused with puppetry, humor, and stunning visual effects, Dead as a Dodo is a mesmerizing musical odyssey about survival, transformation, and the power of true friendship.

* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Presenter's Grant

January 8 - February 9, 2025
January 8-January 12: Wed/Thur/Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 3 and 7 pm; Sunday at 2 & 5 pm
January 14-February 8 : Tue/Wed/Thur/Friday at 7 pm; Saturday at 3 & 7 pm; Sunday at 3 pm

Tickets January 8-19 (UTR Festival): $40; January 20-February 8: $55

Song of the North *

Hamid Rahmanian, Fictionville Studio with support from Two Chairs

The New Victory Theater
209 W 42nd Street
New York, NY
newvictory.org/tickets-and-events/2425-live-performance-song-of-the-north/

During a time of fragile peace between rival kingdoms, the princess Manijeh must summon all her strength and skills to rescue her beloved, Bijan, from a perilous predicament of her own making. Can their love quiet the drumbeat of war? Shadows from 9 performers and 483 handmade puppets play against stunning animated projections in a cinematic performance as epic as the story that inspired it. Pulled from the pages of the Shahnameh—the thousand-year-old Persian Book of Kings—Song of the North trumpets unity, compassion and the beauty of Iranian culture. Created, designed and directed by Hamid Rahmanian.

* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant (2021)

March 14 - 23, 2025
Fridays at 7:00pm
Saturdays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Sundays at 12:00pm and 4:00pm

$24

Fowl Play: Conference of the Birds

Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre

Ellen Stewart Theatre
66 East 4th St
New York, NY
lamama.org/shows/fowl-play-2024

Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre (CAMT), under the direction of Vit Horejs, performs "Fowl Play" an original puppet rock opera inspired by Farid us-Din Attar’s 12th century Sufipoem “The Conference of the Birds,” as re-told by contemporary illustrator and author, Peter Sis. In the story, a flock of birds seek their leader in vain. Performers will portray the birds on their quest over mountain ranges, through deserts and forests. Puppets, objects, and costumes will be designed in the style of Sis's colorful illustrations; and include feather boas, scarves, flags, flowers, banknotes, traffic tickets, dry leaves, newspapers, political and sales flyers, plastic bags, cans & bottles.

November 22 - December 8, 2024
Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7pm
Sundays at 2pm

$30

Spaghetti Dinner

Great Small Works

Jalopy Theatre
315 Columbia St
Brooklyn, NY
viewcy.com/checkout/great_small_works_spa_1?event=6a6c106d-72f0-481a-8e1d-7728164be2a6&ticketType=in-person

An evening of shadow puppet, projection and paper movie shows responding to the news of the day, in all its complicated horror, joy, promise, sadness and inspiration.

November 22, 2024
7:30PM

$20

The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus

Bread & Puppet

Theater for the New City
155 1st Ave
New York, NY
https://ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1216794?performanceId=11538633

Join us December 4-8 for The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus. Director Peter Schumann reports that there will be “tigers teaching the congress of cowards how to jump over billionaires and acquire the courage to not pay for the atrocities of the latest genocide; the proverbial sheep of the system refusing to be sheep and committing revolution against the system; and the blue horses of the peace and harmony terrorists of the Northeast Kingdom breaking through the wall of threatening clouds that hide the truth from the population and then galloping over the ruins of the truth industry.”

December 4 - 8, 2024
Dec 4 - 6 at 8pm
Dec 7 at 3pm and 8pm
Dec 8 at 3pm

$18

The Undercity

Gaby FeBland and Sammy Zeisel

Culture Lab LIC
5-25 46th Ave
Long Island City, NY
eventbrite.com/e/new-works-festival-the-undercity-tickets-1014824696987?aff=oddtdtcreator

When an otherworldly artifact falls into her paws, Rat Girl uncovers a vast conspiracy that threatens the fate of the entire rat metropolis. Merging puppetry, toy theatre, and an original score, “The Undercity” navigates unchecked greed, climate catastrophe, and the engineered hopelessness of industrial life—a gnarly web of rat tails only our hero can untangle.

December 5 - 8, 2024
Thursday, 12/5
7:30 pm
Friday, 12/6
7:30 pm
Saturday, 12/7
2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday, 12/8
2:30 pm & 7:30 pm

$25-$40

We Wiggle Dolls VII: A Puppet Slam

We Wiggle Dolls

Rubulad
389 Melrose St
Brooklyn, NY
withfriends.co/event/22296575/

Following a landmark first year- from the first @purgatory.bk slam, to hosting workshops, to publishing, to the festival, our collaborations and culminating in the national tour, we could not be more thrilled to host another good old fashioned puppet slam! 2025 is going to bring even more massive changes so please be sure to catch this one-time, mega-sized evening of extreme variety!

PERFORMERS:
• Vape Kid Jr. (@vapekidjr)
• Madison J Cripps (@madisonj.cripps)
• Break-FAST Puppets (@breakfast_puppets)
• Tashi (@_tashi_)
• Basically Good Puppet Theater (@basically_good)
• Tau Bennett (@haunau.brauntau)
• Jaqueline Wade
• Gabe Hazuda (@gabemakesit)
• k8 Revels (@k8.kinetics)
• Jeremy Quentin (@yellowlemonshapedrock)

December 11, 2024
7:30PM

$24

The Possibilitarian Imperative Everything Show & Gray Lady Cantata #9

Bread & Puppet

Theater for the New City
155 1st Ave
New York, NY
https://ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1216794

The word “possibilitarian” is a Marc Estrin translation of Robert Musil’s term “möglichkeitsmensch” from his novel The Man Without Qualities, about the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The term was invigorated by Margaret Thatcher’s remark on capitalism: “there is no alternative,” to which we respond: “there are a thousand alternatives!” Of The Possibilitarian Imperative Everything Show, director Peter Schumann reminds us that, “at a time when Freedom and Democracy slaughter babies and moms by the dozen every day and don’t even seem to have any understanding of what they are doing to the world or to themselves, we Possibilitarians, operating on the Principle of Hope, put on our boots to kick aside impossibility and declare new possibility in response to this obviously despaired situation.”

Gray Lady Cantata #9 continues a series of shows made in the 60’s and 70’s in response to the Vietnam War. This new iteration features texts from Palestinians living through the war in Gaza. With the iconic gray lady puppets from the original production moving through vignettes both dreamlike and brutal, Gray Lady Cantata #9 offers meditations on grief, war, and resistance.

December 12 - 15, 2024
Dec 12 - 13 at 8pm
Dec 14 at 3pm and 8pm
Dec 15 at 3pm

$18

A Light in the Darkness

Puppets Come Home

dixon place
161A Chrystie St
New York, NY
dixonplace.org/performances/puppets-come-home-a-light-in-the-darkness/

Join Puppets Come Home at Dixon Place for a puppet slam featuring a dynamic line-up of performers, whose work will explore the theme ‘A Light in the Darkness.’ Co-hosted and co-produced by Tau Bennett, Camille Cooper, and Brendan Schweda.

December 18, 2024
7:30PM

$20

Cool Zone: The Lost Episode

Vape Kid Jr.

The Brick Aux Studio
628 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY
www.bricktheater.com/event/the-exponential-festival-and-the-brick-present-cool-zone-the-lost-episode/2025-01-16/

Hey kids! Do you remember “Vape Kid’s Cool Zone?”
A fascist brainwashing program disguised as a public access children’s TV. It’s PeeWee Herman meets RoboCop!
Follow America’s Darling- a 5-foot sentient puppet named Courtney as he learns what it means to serve his country?. Join the live studio audience for the lost episode the US government doesn’t want you to see!
Find them: ?@VapeKidJr @DailyRaptorOfficial???
Content warnings: Child Abuse, Police brutality, Gun Violence, puppets

January 16 - 18, 2025
7PM

$15

The Best of Broadway Puppetry at 54 Below

Puppetry on Broadway

Photo by: Art by Richard Michael Gomez

54 Below
254 W 54th St
New York, NY
54below.org/events/the-best-of-broadway-puppetry/

Calling all the lovers, the dreamers, and YOU! Calling all the lovers, the dreamers, and YOU! From Mushnik’s Flower Shop on Skid Row to the Pridelands, puppetry plays an integral part of the magic we love on Broadway. In this show at 54 Below, your favorite puppeteers will go above the frame and sing their favorite Broadway songs…with no strings attached! Hosted by the Bad Idea Bears of Avenue Q, this show features puppeteers from iconic Broadway shows such as Shrek the Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lion King, Warhorse, Water for Elephants, Avenue Q, How to Dance in Ohio, and Life of Pi. Bringing your own puppet is not required, but highly recommended for maximum fun!
Conceived and Produced by Julia Darling (Puppetry on Broadway)
Directed by Peter Charney and Jake Bazel

January 27, 2025
9:30 PM

$34.50-73.00

Little Shop of Horrors

Off-Broadway

Westside Theatre Upstairs
407 West 43rd St
New York, NY
littleshopnyc.com

The world's most ravenous plant has returned to its acclaimed, sold-out run at the Westside Theatre! Winner of the 2020 Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is “wildly exuberant” (The Hollywood Reporter), and a New York Times Critic's Pick. Get tickets now and enjoy a taste of what we’ve all been craving: live theater!

Tuesdays & Thursdays - 7:00pm
Fridays - 8:00pm
Saturdays - 2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sundays - 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Starting at $59

Water for Elephants

Broadway

Imperial Theatre
249 45th St
New York, NY
waterforelephantsthemusical.com/

The critically acclaimed bestselling novel comes to “thrilling, dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical with “one of the more remarkable ensembles ever seen on Broadway” (New York Daily News)! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional and gorgeously imaginative.” After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.

Ongoing, tickets on sale through December 30, 2024
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:00pm
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm

Starting at $84