“Bebop: The Musical” @ Puppet House
There’s no people like puppet people. They (okay, we) are a truly hilarious and weird bunch. I don’t puppeteer, myself, but local Puppetmistress Carrie Morris (who leads the charge over at CMAP, in the Puppet House on Carpenter) figured out about my deep roots as a costumer, and engages me, on occasion, to make costumes for puppets. Which is the only thing weirder than straight-up puppeteering.
Why? Because I think it feels funny to imagine puppets as being sentient enough to need things like clothing. That’s why, at least, when I go out shopping in the “Tiny Tot” section at ValueWorld, it is just easier to let people think I am shopping for my (nonexistent) children, than to shout “IT’S FOR PUPPETS” every time someone makes eye contact with me. Because you better believe I would not dress my baby in clothing from ValueWorld; I would put them in generic little washable sacks with arm and leg holes until they were old enough to understand the concept of clothing. Clothing for babies is ridiculous.
Anyway, here’s the rundown on Bebop:
Friday, August 21, 8pm – Bebop, a puppet musical satire featuring figures from jazz history
Bebop: The Musical, through the lens of the contemporary musical, spoofs the 1940s creation of Bebop Jazz and the figures that surround it. “Bebop” is a fictional story about Charlie Parker’s ascent into jazz history and the trials that he overcame to get there, using humor to remind us of how fun music can be when we give ourselves permission to enjoy it. Join us for a works-in-progress staging of scenes from this new puppet musical featuring singers Brian Baylor, Marcel Durand, K Edmonds, Dan Johnson, Jonathan Jones, Jeremy St. Martin, Luciana Piazza, Marcel Durand and puppeteers Torri Ashford, Sam Moltmaker and Gregory Mulkern. Directed by Carrie Morris and composed by Scott Gwinnell. Appropriate for all ages, free and open to the public.
And here’s a few pics of my costumes (I just made the clothing, not the puppets!), in the steady hands of puppeteers Torri Lynn Ashford and Samantha Moltmaker:
“Miles,” “Charlie,” and “Chet,” during the performance.
“Ella” and “Louis” with Sam Moltmaker driving.
“Miles” and “Benny” with Torri Lynn Ashford driving.
I’ll have much more to say about the performance in an upcoming blog post, but today, it’s all about the costumes, baby. Great show, everyone!