Ushering in a Tuesday

More free stuff came my way today, this time in the form of a play! I had signed up to do some volunteer ushering for NYMF so I got to see A Puppet Music Thing in which the art of puppetry combines with music.

When I arrived at the rather impressive Chernuchin Theater space which is comfortably seated inside the American Theatre of Actors, I was expecting to be put to work immediately. However since it was to be a smaller house (I can only assume the result of a Tuesday) I was told by the preexisting staff that they wouldn't require my services, so I could either stick around to watch the show, or retire for the evening. Well, I love puppets and I love music, so I was there to stay!

I admit that the show wasn't exactly what I had expected. (I was thinking of something more in the vein of a scripted musical a la Avenue Q.) Nonetheless, I quite enjoyed this lovely 90-minute showcase of puppetry which ranged from the silly and bizarre to the touching and poignant. It was also interesting to see the range of puppets that are used, not all of them hang from strings or are controlled with someone's hand up their rear.

Alissa Hunnicutt performing a candy heartrending piece with a Raggedy Ann puppet/doll.

Marta Mozelle MacRostie and her bouncy chicken puppet Schmutzy performed an adorable dance number, I Shake It With My Chicken

and check out all of these Marionettes!


*all production stills courtesy of the NYMF website

My favorite part of the show had to be the seemingly improvised monologues by a myriad of adorable one of a kind Hensonesque puppets which were brilliantly brought to life by the venerable Tyler Bunch who also happens to be a member of the Jim Henson Company's exceptional troupe of musically improvising puppeteers in Puppet Up! The only thing that I could imagine would be more fun than performing musical improv, is performing musical improv with puppets! I want to do that!!! I may have to start another blog "Puppeteer By The End of This Year!"