Who needs the Muppets anyway?
Bring the kids — especially the art-inclined theater geeks — to the Bushwick Starr this weekend for the second annual Band of Puppets Fest, a festival featuring five new puppetry plays set to the music of Michael Jackson.
Yes, it’s going to be weird.
Expect a tabletop puppet made from a sweatshirt, a hat, and a pair of shoes; shadow puppets using mirrors; and large-scale strung-out marionettes dancing on their own power to “Beat It,” “Wanna be Starting Something,” and “Pretty Young Thing.”
Highlights include a play featuring an Old West chase scene, “Mr. Sweatshirt’s” new dance will debut, and several other evocations of the late pop icon, according to producer Amanda Maddock.
“I enjoyed seeing the works so far,” said Maddock. “Everybody is trying to think about how to use a Michael Jackson song and tell stories in a visual form.”
Band of Puppets Fest at the Bushwick Starr [207 Starr St. between Wyckoff and Irving Avenues in Bushwick, (718) 306-2370], Dec. 8–11. Tickets, $12 (free for kids under 18 at matinees).
Reach reporter Aaron Short at ashort@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2547.
