bob baker marionette theater
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bob baker marionette theater, los angeles: hours, address, bob baker marionette theater reviews: 4. 5 / 5
bob baker marionette theatre host... beautiful chandeliers (10 / 18 / 17 )
bob baker, puppeteer whose theater was l. a. institution, dies at 90
we are proud to be continuing the bob baker marionette theater experience for another 50 plus years! we' re getting a new building based on bob' s original vision .
bob baker, puppeteer whose theater was l. a. institution, dies at 90 – variety
freedom is tied only to the strings of your happiness. happy independence day from the puppets and the people of the bob baker marionette theater !
future of bob baker' s puppet theater, once an l. a. icon, is uncertain
puppeteer bob baker, whose marionette theater near downtown los angeles was an institution serving generations of kids, died friday of natural causes. he was 90. baker, who launched the bob baker marionette theater in 1963, offered puppet shows in what was billed as one of the world’s oldest and longest - running children’s theater companies. in 2009, [ … ]
puppeteer bob baker, whose marionette theater near downtown los angeles was an institution serving generations of kids, died friday of natural causes. he was 90 .
the episode will air monday night, and a good bit of it takes place inside the bob baker marionette theater, the oldest children' s theater in los angeles and the oldest puppet theater in the united states .
historic marionette theater features 3, 000 handmade puppets and free cups of ice cream .
kiddle karoo, bob baker marionettes at levitt l. a. (free )
after 25 years without a public performance, the bob baker marionette theater is proud to once more present this fantastic production! join us for this edutainment extravaganza featuring 100s of bob baker’s hand crafted marionettes that wiggle and shake to make you giggle and applaud .
baker and partner, alton wood, turned a run - down scenic shop near downtown los angeles into a family entertainment institution: the bob baker marionette theater. the bob baker marionettes have performed around the globe (even on navy ships and submarines !), with an inventory of nearly three thousand puppets. like bill baird before him, bob baker is an american pioneer in the art of puppetry .
everybody loves a puppet show! the bob baker marionette theater is one of the most exciting and engaging theaters in the southwest. we have taken the magic ingredient imagination... …
baker called the show his “love letter to los angeles” and for the crew running the theater, bringing back these vintage shows has become a love letter to bob baker .
l. a. marionette theater granted landmark status | l. a. now | los angeles times
the puppets danced and pranced around the city council’s ornate horseshoe - shaped desk in the city hall chambers before officials voted 14 - 0 to place the bob baker marionette theater on the city’s landmark list .
actors eric christian olsen, left, renee felice smith and linda hunt at the bob baker marionette theater during a shoot for
ncis: los angeles .
the episode featuring the puppet theater airs monday night. (neil jacobs / cbs )
dante ruiz first stepped into the bob baker marionette theater nearly 20 years ago. he remembers running the old lighting system when he was first hired, working his way up to puppeteering under baker' s guidance. he was nervous the first time around, operating a lone indian boy marionette during a christmastime show .
bob baker passed away at 90 years old on november 28, 2014 of natural causes at. he left behind a lifetime worth of smiles and memories, thousands of enchanting, hand - crafted puppets, his cultural - historical landmark: the bob baker marionette theater, and a beloved crew of people dedicated to keeping bob' s enduring vision ever - lasting .
we explored the marionette theater on obscura day - march 20th, 2010. photos, stories and more here
hidden beneath a los angeles overpass, bob baker' s marionette theater continues its fifty year legacy. veteran puppeteers eric de la cruz and alex evans discuss their involvement at the historic theater as they carefully pull the strings of an aged art form .
bob baker' s marionette theater has been an icon in los angeles since the 1960s. but now, developers plan to turn the performance space into the lobby of a new apartment building, and the theater' s fans are fighting to save it .
inside the bob baker marionette theater today, it' s as if not a day has passed since the sketch book revue staged its first production beneath the colored spotlights made of coffee cans painted black some half a century ago .
for more than half a century, the bob baker marionette theater has entertained children, as it did on a recent friday when small boys and girls ignored their parents' smartphones to marvel and giggle as puppets rested on their laps or flew toward their faces .
but the performance of sketch book revue that i saw wasn' t a standard song and dance at the puppet theater. the revival show was part of a last - ditch appeal to save the bob baker marionette theater, staged two months before the city would decide whether or not to allow the construction of an apartment building that would force the theater to close .
“marionettes are a dying art form in themselves but their integrity is kept alive through bob baker' s theatre. ” in 2 reviews
everybody loves a puppet show! the bob baker marionette theater is one of the most exciting and engaging theaters in the southwest. we have taken the magic ingredient imagination... and sprinkled it with a little star dust and made it into a world of whipped cream over delight !
i had an opportunity to take a tour of bob baker' s marionette theater; and i was amazed at the number of marionettes on display backstage. alex evans is the head puppeteer of this venue; and has different storylines and different marionettes for each. for children ...
i' ve been to bob baker a handful of times, once without any kids present (i took a friend to try ...
we are constantly upgrading our productions, working to make them just as beautiful as bob baker intended; like with our newly hung ...
at 8 - years - old bob baker saw a puppet show. more than eighty years later, that experience has grown into a cultural landmark .
a parade of puppets strung along los angeles city council members today long enough to persuade them to designate a west 1st street marionette theater a historic cultural landmark .
one night, we were sitting there with him and talking to the nurses. he was talking about new shows and new puppets he was going to build ,
schuler remembers. then suddenly, he gasped and took his last breath. the nurses had expected him to survive at least until the new year, schuler says .
bob baker did what bob baker wanted to do on bob baker time. he passed the same way .
today, our mission is to provide unique theatrical experiences; to educate, celebrate and rejuvenate puppetry and the allied arts. furthermore, bob baker marionette theater is now a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, and this will transition our current space into an institution that encapsulates the old and grows into something new .
the puppets themselves are what amaze me about the bob baker marionette theater. each one is a masterpiece ,
said phoenix, a local historian who travels the country documenting kitschy americana culture .
there' s such a radically wide variety of marionettes there, and each one of them is a national treasure .
he refers to the theater as the fantasyland of downtown .
it was around 2: 30 in the morning on november 28, 2014—the very same day baker had purchased the theater back in 1961, according to schuler. schuler fetched baker' s favorite marionette, a circus pauper named scherzo, and placed it on a puppet stand on the nightstand next to him .
bob baker marionette theater is one of my favorite and most iconic places in la. visiting this magical theater is an unforgettable experience for children and also adults! children love the music, colors and beautiful performance that is appropriate for kids of all ages. adults are also fascinated by the skill and talent of the puppeteers, as well as the historical significance of the theater and its owner. and, as if it weren' t enough, there' s an awesome surprise at the end! so, be sure to check out this whimsical marionette theater that is sure to leave you and your kids feeling so very happy !
when the show ends the children are all given a cup of vanilla ice cream, a tradition that baker has exercised since the theater first opened. some parents, who frequented the theater decades ago, have even remarked on how baker still uses the same wooden spoons .
every inch of the longest - running marionette theater in america—every puppet, every choreographed number, every perfectly placed ribbon—is due to one man and his delightful vision. despite bob baker’s death in november, his legacy lives forever in the painted faces of his beloved marionettes. “when you come here, you feel like you step into a different world, ” says alex evans, the theater’s head puppeteer .
amsterdam marionette theatre: the impresario (der schauspieldirektor) - w. a. mozart: gust & mitzi
to friends and staff at the bob baker marionette theater, that' s hardly enough .
you can knock this place down, i don' t care ,
evans told me, referring to the ramshackle facility itself. but because the theater' s current layout and the attached workshop are so unique to the theater - in - the - round - style shows baker pioneered, evans worries that relocating it will be too costly—plus, any potential new location won' t come with the hard - fought historic - cultural monument status .
in the early 1960s, baker teamed with alton wood to launch the marionette theater. he worked as an adviser to disney and other studios, and was a member of the academy of motion picture arts & sciences as well as the television academy .
the end is not near ,
evans says of the theater, whose weekly performances can be found on the bob baker website .
we are going to keep on putting on shows for people for as long as possible .
marionette operator richard wilson of burbank marched a 50 - year - old, handmade pinocchio puppet before the council .
we love bob baker marionette. it is exactly the same as it was 30 years ago when i first attended a birthday party there. i remember being in awe and loving the show and my kids (8 and 9) still love to go. we started ...
the first thing you see in sketch book revue, the hour - long puppet show recently on view at the bob baker marionette theater, is the trio of marionette dogs. they dance onstage to whimsical fairytale music, while kids sitting cross - legged on the carpet gasp in awe. the dogs are followed by a procession of puppets—soldiers, a gingerbread man, a giant clown, and a teddy bear balancing on a rolling beach ball—all maneuvered by a set of marionette strings. there' s silver tinsel strewn from the ceiling like christmas, but it' s a thursday morning in march .
i wasn’t sure what my video game and sfx movie loving kids would think of an old time marionette ...
baker’s theater at 1345 w. 1st st. is a former movie scenery shop that baker and a partner purchased in 1961 and turned into a theater a year later. it has staged puppet shows six days a week ever since, said lanna pian, a lomita resident representing the los angeles conservancy .
as the developers planning to replace the bob baker marionette theater with 104 apartments sharpen their bulldozer blades, the puppets seems to be doing better than ever. baker’s troupe is commemorating their late founder by re - staging classic shows not seen for decades. saturday night is the opening of hooray l. a. !, a los angeles history - themed show with a gala hosted by silver lake showman charles phoenix. as is the custom of the theater, ice cream will be served in the party room following the show .
now, ruiz plays a much bigger role in the production, controlling marionettes of all shapes and sizes. as he packs up and leaves the emptied theater after the show, ruiz says he would do anything to keep bob baker' s marionettes going .
the bob baker marionette theater is excited to present subject: los angeles– four nights of l. a. ephemera featuring archival films, guest presenters, music, and puppets that explore hidden threads of l. a. history. april 14th kicks off the first of four programs that surface and interrogate mythologies of los angeles, starting with the idea of los angeles as eden .
the building was eventually sold to property developer eli elimelech, who agreed to lease the theater back to baker until the end of march 2015, then move to a month - to - month lease. throughout the fall of 2014, elimelech submitted designs for a five - story mixed - use space encompassing the theater. then, on november 28, 2014, at the age of ninety, bob baker passed away .
the bob baker marionette theater, which occupies what is now prime hipster real estate just outside of downtown los angeles, is at the heart of an intense debate about how to preserve the city' s historic buildings. while the white cinderblock building that holds the theater is itself a time capsule of the 1960s, the neighborhood around it is anything but. nearby downtown and echo park have rapidly gentrified, giving rise to high - density housing and skyrocketing rents .
as long as we do a show tomorrow, bob lives on another day .
— alex evans
elimelech' s project was made possible because of the theater' s decline .
the theater was in turmoil at the time. baker was in hospice. (he died nov. 28 .) his beloved theater, which opened in 1962, was struggling financially and had been since 2008. the property had been sold in 2013, and the theater' s lease was widely reported to be up this month .
friends of baker request that donations be made to help supporters preserve his legacy and purchase the building that houses the theater. more information can be found at this link .
about 35 people trickled into the theater halloween morning for the hoop - de - doo puppet show. sheri watson bought her ticket after hearing that the theater might close .
next door to the theater is the storage warehouse where thousands of baker’s marionettes live hanging by strings, each handcrafted and delicately painted. there are laughing clowns, dancing mice, menacing dinosaurs and twinkling fairies. despite baker’s absence, you can’t help but feel he is still here. says evans, “everything we do down here is in honor of bob and his vision. he' s not gone. ”
the theater, he said, was not a landmark because of its architecture, but because of the artistry that took place inside and baker' s contribution to the city' s entertainment industry .
if they can' t save the original space, theater staffers have talked about the possibility of rehousing the theater elsewhere. the neighborhood' s zoning laws require residential properties to be mixed - use, so the new building will also have commercial spaces for rent on its first floor. albert, the principal architect, sees it as a silver lining for the bob baker marionette theater, which could opt to sign a new lease on the ground floor of the building. but to evans, the move would be more like a sad consolation prize .
it' s kind of like having a party next to a gravestone of what it once was ,
he said .
alton wood was the theater' s founding partner. here he emcees one of the first shows .
alex evans, creative director of the bob baker marionette theater, says the theater' s status as a historic - cultural monument doesn' t do nearly enough to preserve and continue its legacy .
the whole thing is a really big misunderstanding of what' s important, in my mind ,
said evans, a 28 - year - old british transplant and longtime puppeteer who lives up the hill in echo park .
they' re treating it like an architectural landmark, but it' s like, no, it' s a cultural resource, and that' s what' s important .
we' re becoming a non profit so we can better serve the community. we are hosting a series of celebratory performances at our landmark theater to showcase bob' s legacy and also touring los angeles far and wide with regular travelling shows !
baker’s workshop on santa monica boulevard in hollywood became a magnet for future showbiz stars, including producer bob clampett, stan freberg and daws butler, who who would go on to create a tv sensation locally with the ktla - tv hand puppet series “time for beany. ” in the late 1940s baker also worked in local tv with the series “adventures of bobo. ”
sachs won' t give away too many spoilers, but he will say that the show is based around the actions of a group of
hacktavists
( think anonymous) who might be responsible for hijacking a missile test and sending it off course. one of the college - age hacker' s girlfriends is a theater major and studies puppetry at bob baker .
since then, everyone at the theater has been trying to deal with both the uncertain future and the loss of a friend. alex evans, who was an intern in 2007 before becoming a puppeteer, remembers baker as much more than just a boss: “he was like a grandfather to me... bob was the most creative guy i’ve ever met. ”
once the theater' s lease ends, it will transfer to a month - to - month agreement, making for a tentative existence. baker' s business has been strained for years, burdened by late mortgage payments and taxes. last year, the theater property was sold to elimelech for about $ 1. 5 million .
the value of a
cultural resource
is harder to preserve than, say, architecturally significant monuments like the victorian - era bradbury building or frank lloyd wright' s hollyhock house, both of which are designated historic - cultural monuments and have remarkable facades that effortlessly make the case for preservation. the building that houses the bob baker marionette theater, on the other hand, is so unremarkable that its architect is unknown even to the advocacy group la conservancy, which classifies it in the
vernacular ,
or architecturally modest, everyday style .
there’s a little bit of magic inside the bob baker marionette theater near downtown los angeles. the chandeliers hang from the ceiling, giving off soft light. a bright red curtain protects the surprises that lie behind it. two smiling clowns stand on boxes, greeting all those who enter. despite a few chairs, the audience sits mostly on the floor. there is no stage, ensuring little separation between the audience and performers. soon, the lights fade, the music begins and the red curtain parts, revealing marionettes and strings dancing in near - perfect unison .
what will happen to the theater at this point is murky. the los angeles city council designated it a historic cultural landmark in 2009. the new developers will have to find a way to incorporate the theater into their plans .
but for all of its magic, there were plenty of hard times, too. baker and wood sold the theater in 1988, saddled with expenses they could no longer afford. the owner offered to return the property two years later, citing its marginal profitability, and two businessmen who were fans of the theater covered the remaining $ 25, 000 required to keep its doors open, the la times reported at the time. but richard schuler, baker' s partner who now owns the business, said the baker had mounds of credit card and mortgage debt that he never recovered from .
while the venue is very outdated, it' s o. k. because you feel like you are going back in time. real marionette theater is almost gone and this place deserves to be kept going and supported. the show was magical. i heard that many angelenos had their ...
filming at the theater isn' t unusual, but evans says the
ncis
shoot was much bigger in scale than anything that had been done before. the show filmed four scenes at the theater over a day and a half .
if it shuts down tomorrow, it sucks, it' s horrible, but it' s here right now and it' s going strong ,
said evans .
it' s going just as bob wanted it to be. as long as we do a show tomorrow, bob lives on another day .
the architecture of the theater is nothing significant ,
evans says of the boxy white building perched at the corner of glendale boulevard and first street .
it' s what bob did on the inside — the shows and the cultural impact — that' s the landmark .
i' ve been to bob baker a handful of times, once without any kids present (i took a friend to try and convince him to do a documentary on the theatre !) and i always love it. allergy sufferers beware: there is a healthy layer of dust ...
the theater is a giant vintage christmas present from the 1960s with red velvet from floor to ceiling ,
says sachs, who took his kids, 9 and 4, to the theater to see a performance of
the nutcracker
in november .
he made the most beautiful things, but he did not know how to pay for it ,
schuler said of baker .
we sounded like a man and wife, screaming about money. bob would say,' oh i know, i understand,' and then he' d go right out and spend every dime he could lay his hands on .
one of the most explosive fights erupted after baker discovered schuler had paid the electric bill in full, using the same money baker had already spent to buy fabric and glue for his puppets, according to schuler .
baker never had children of his own, but as evan remembers, he used to tell people he had 2, 000 puppets instead .
a well meaning, beloved institution for sure, but sorely in need of a cleaning. it has dust on the curtains and light fixtures that looks like it' s been there since the 50' s! clean, bob baker people. please. take care of the facility. between that and ...
baker is an established puppeteer, and with the help of his 3, 000 handmade marionettes, has been entertaining audiences for over 70 years. baker was a key activist in establishing union status for puppeteers, and his theater serves as a training ground for many puppet - makers who go on to work in fantasy films. with a long history of working in hollywood, baker’s creations have been featured in tv shows such as star trek and bewitched, and films such as bluebeard, a star is born and close encounters of the third kind .
sun. 7 / 22 7: 00 p. m. when puppets are your only friends presents... . escape to witch mountain a comedy - variety adventure, reimagining of the 1975 disney classic, starring your hosts molly fite and jared ramirez and the original puppets from the film! !! fans will remember escape to witch mountain' s classic marionette sequence puppeteered and puppets fabricated by the one and only bob baker! this month' s guests: patrick michael ballard wesley doloris + many more surprising surprises! !
an l. a. native, baker traveled the world with his famous marionette troupe. his work was featured in prominent films, ranging from disney’s “bedknobs and broomsticks” to steven spielberg’s “close encounters of the third kind” to the 1954 version of “a star is born. ” he was said to have an archive of more than 3, 000 puppets .
but with the theater' s lease ending next march, the building' s owner, eli elimelech, has drawn a blueprint that is more in keeping with changes in the trendy neighborhood — while preserving the spartan - looking little building that baker' s marionettes call home .
to do this, elimelech will design his mixed - used development to wrap around the theater, saving much of the existing structure. it' s an unusual approach, but necessary since the theater was designated a historic cultural landmark by the los angeles city council in 2009 .
by november of 2014, baker was 90 years old and on his deathbed, sick with kidney failure. schuler considered shuttering the business right then and there, but decided to wait until after christmas—the theater' s busiest season, when up to four shows are scheduled on the weekends .
i want to see if there is a better way to give a better legacy to this man who contributed all his work for years and years ,
barron said .
it was a sad, sad thing to think of a dusty lobby with a picture of bob baker in it. it brought tears to my eyes .
but as the hearing date looms, he and other staffers at the theater are starting to lose hope. in a declaration published march 14, the city planning department recommended that the project won' t have any significantly adverse effects on its surrounding community. without baker around to tell his own story, his puppeteers, friends, and fans have been scrambling to devise a campaign to sway the city to leave the theater intact .
when los angeles turned 200 back in 1981, artists across the city created special birthday tributes. baker’s includes skeletons dancing in the la brea tar pits, an oil derrick kickline, and a neon - lit celebration of hollywood nightlife. longtime theater staff restored the performers and sets from the original show so it could be restaged as part of an entire season honoring the theater’s history. the all - ages show will be performed daily through may 29 .
when schuler and baker first started working together, he says they' d do four shows a day. by 2000, they were doing one a day, then one every three days, if that. things only got worse when baker' s health began to collapse in the late 2000s, restricting his ability to work and cutting his theater visits down to about once a month. in baker' s absence, schuler stepped in, attempting to cut costs any way he knew how, even if it meant laying off employees and slashing the building' s maintenance budget. in 2013, they sold the property to elimeleich .
[ baker ] gave his whole life to this. to see it taken down and destroyed with a plaque, it' s just so insulting and demeaning ,
said bils, the teacher and decades - long patron of the theater .
that' s the worst thing i can think of .
our theater is directly under the beverly street bridge / 1st st. bridge, near belmont high school and six blocks west of the disney music hall .
sachs' son made his first appearance as an extra. when his meager paycheck arrived, he asked sachs if he could donate it to the theater .
baker, 85, was performing a series of previously scheduled shows in paramount as the council recognized what it was told is the country’s longest - running puppetry showcase .
since baker’s passing, there has been plenty of talk about finding ways to bring more attention—and money—to the theater, through fundraisers, new shows, and even the revival of long - lost masterpieces. one such masterpiece might be la ole, first performed during los angeles’ centennial in 1981 and last seen on stage in the ’90s. “it was the history of l. a. done through puppets. it was supposedly bob' s masterpiece, but i' ve never seen it, ” said evans. asked if the show could see the lights of theater again, evans explains that they are trying to make that happen, depending on the resources they can muster, notably time and money .
but, he said, he doesn' t know how much longer a theater that has been struggling financially for years can keep the curtains from coming down .
the original publicity for this cinematic assault announced
the forces of evil stalk their prey into the audience. so, is there a better place to screen this immersive nightmare than in a theater where puppets and performers also interact with the patrons? that' s right, not only will we be showing this cursed cult classic (a film that must be seen to be disbelieved), but there will also be a pre - show featuring the enchanted bob baker marionettes and an dream - like solo performance by master puppeteer, eli zachary socoloff presser .
the theater also houses the nonprofit academy of puppetry and allied arts, where high school students from the inner city are taught the art of puppetry, she said .
i just want to have the plan ready for the building ,
elimelech said .
the theater will still be operating. it is still surviving .
while developers have proposed demolishing much of the historically designated theater and converting the performance space into an elevator lobby, the puppeteers are pushing for the show to go on. they have been working with city planners and property owners to maintain theater operations on the site. the planning commission is scheduled to discuss the project later this month .
just as it was 40 years ago, children (and some adults) gather in a circle on the floor of the 200 - person shoebox theater, where they sit and watch baker’s creations come to life. for a little over an hour, baker and roughly 8 other puppeteer students, dressed in all black, weave the marionettes around their audience. the puppets, dressed in bright ensembles, fly and dance to the charming soundtrack of old phonograph records, complete with scratches and the warm hiss of analog audio .
in 2012, baker was forced to sell the building to pay off late mortgage payments and taxes —a sum that had reached nearly $ 2 million. as baker explained to the los angeles times, “we' ve put everything up for sale. the people with the mortgage said if you don' t do that, we' re going to foreclose. ”
i wasn’t sure what my video game and sfx movie loving kids would think of an old time marionette show but they loved it! they got to sprawl on the floor as hundreds of elaborate, creative puppets pranced around, sometimes flouncing into their laps. adults ...
we came to enjoy the bob baker day festival this morning and it was packed! lots of free activities to check out - cool booths with crafts for kids, shopping with quirky arty jewelry / clothes / paintings, bubbles station, music stage, performance stage, pie n burger and border grill trucks. you can also purchase tickets for a show at the box office. a very happy place to be with your kiddo !
though the shows cater to a mostly young audience, many adults have referred to the performances as “psychedelic. ” the dizzying colors and interactive experience have given the theater a reputation for non - linear, off - beat performances. indeed, baker is known to weave disco scenes into the nutcracker, and incorporates many sci - fi alien themes into his halloween spooktacular .
many years ago i saw a marionette show. the marionettes performed on a stage with the puppeteers above them. you never saw the puppeteers during the show. it was a play done with marionettes. it was very well done and very professional. that' s what i ...
we took our granddaughter, age 6, to see the marionette show. she was unsure about it when we got there - as were we. yes, the building looks old and the area is somewhat run down. once inside, we had a great time. the staff ...
more than 9 million viewers are expected to tune in at 10 p. m. monday, when the cbs show reveals the inside of the theater and the workings of its vintage craft .
it has never happened that the theater has been a part of the story, at least not in my time here ,
says evans, who signed on as a volunteer in 2007 .
new developments like marionette square are emblematic of the changes rolling through echo park, fueling concerns over gentrification in the area. young college graduates continue to flow in, pushing out working - class immigrant families. the neighborhood' s immigrant population has dropped nearly 15% since 1990, according to 2010 census figures .
the theater was built in 1953 and believed to have been constructed as a studio for academy award - winning special - effects artist, m. b. paul. it was purchased by baker and wood in 1961, where it has remained as a window - less warehouse in a somewhat rundown area of town. despite its unassuming white facade, the interior is decorated with red velvet drapes and grand chandeliers .
bob baker’s “enchanted toyshop” is a magnificent vision of a toy store come to life. originally staged as “toyland review” in 1963, this whimsical and imaginative production intended to make real the fantasies of every child who has ever experienced the wonder of playing with a toy. from animated cuckoo clocks to tumbling teddy bears, from jack - in - the - boxes to wooden soldiers, “enchanted toyshop” is a universal exploration of the childlike wonder and fantasy that kids of all ages should embrace and envision .
baker’s interest in puppetry was sparked at the age of 5 when he saw a puppet show at a downtown los angeles department store. within a few years he was studying the art and competing in local talent shows .
tentatively named marionette square, elimelech' s new complex would span over much of the existing building. the development would hold about 100 apartments, as well as a strip of commercial space for retailers, according to steve albert, the project architect. between 5 and 10% of the units would be reserved for affordable housing .
he says the theater' s lease is not up this month and that it will continue operating for the next year or so until the property' s owners break ground on a mixed - use development .
great for your kids. we' ve been checking out the bob baker marrionette show that were free in pasadena and my son and daughter were amazed by the marrionettes. we took them to the circus show and it was an awesome show. my 8 month old paid attention for about 45 min and my 2. 5 yo the entire show. they loved the show. my hubby and i had a few chuckles too. the puppets at the show are nicer than the ones they take to the free show, so even if you' ve seen the free show, it is worthwhile to go to the puppet show at the theater. the ice cream after the show is prepackaged and my son did not like it. a plus for me .
despite the theater’s 50 - plus years in business, its financial situation has always been precarious. the building has faced foreclosure numerous times, including in 1992 and 2008. in 2009, the theater was designated los angeles historic - cultural monument # 958, but even that, according to la’s office of historic resources, doesn’t necessarily prevent it from being destroyed. it only means the local government can “delay demolition in order to create opportunities for preservation solutions to emerge. ”
i highly recommend taking your little ones to this show. i even enjoyed it! it was a little tricky getting there due to all of the construction and we missed the parking lot but there is street parking in the surrounding areas. it' s a 45 min. marionette show (think of puppets on a string) which is a perfect amount of time for little ones. my 6 yo enjoyed the job especially the puppet dogs. the puppeteers are so skilled and really bring them to life. afterwards there is free ice cream in the next room. it' s a playful room with lots of color and pictures of the staff and the founder, bob baker. the puppeteers come and show the puppets up close to the kids. it gives a nice opportunity to ask questions about the show and the puppets. you can also purchase puppets for $ 5. the show is affordable so if you can, go and support the arts !
elimelech and albert have been asked to estimate how much renovations would cost, both with and without preserving the theater' s architecture. the commission will determine whether it is possible to create an endowment or nonprofit organization to help fund the performances .
elimelech says he isn' t sure when he will begin building. the 90 - year - old baker, who is in hospice care, can no longer tend to his puppets, but the puppeteers plan to put on shows for as long as they can .
it' s an art ,
said molly damecourt, 37, who came to the theater for the first time with her toddler son, pruitt, on halloween morning .
in the age of technology it' s nice to have something that is so hands - on .
for that reason, he' s spent the last several months urging anyone and everyone who' s ever been to a show at the theater to write a letter to the city conveying its importance. the public comments will be considered in advance of a may hearing to review the developers' permit application and determine whether the proposed project will have an impact on its surrounding culture and environment. best - case scenario—short of winning the power ball and buying the building back, evans said—is to convince the city and developer to keep the theater in operation, rather than covert it into an obsolete lobby .
humor rose naturally from the scenario. ll cool j' s character, sam hanna, has an established clown phobia, and when he and o' donnell' s character arrive at the theater to interview the suspect' s girlfriend, they are greeted by a 12 - foot clown out front .
stephen albert, the principal architect at the albert group architects, which is designing the building that may one day replace the theater, points out that city and state preservation laws have been written specifically to preserve buildings, rather than ideas .
how do you preserve the idea ?
he said .
how do you preserve the function? well, you can' t .
in lieu of preserving the function of the theater, albert told me his client plans to install puppet displays and photography exhibits in the lobby of the apartment complex, so that
anybody who goes into the building will become aware of what happened there in the past .
as of now, elimelech and his architects have agreed to build on top of the theater, keeping the main space intact—but the kitchen, office space, and the puppet workshop will all be bulldozed, according to the developer' s proposal to the city, and the performance area would be converted into the lobby of the apartment complex .
the theater will continue to stage shows throughout the coming months, and will pay rent to the new owner while the architecture firm attempts to pass inspections and obtain permits. if all goes to plan, albert says construction could begin by the end of 2016, and the apartment itself could be housing new tenants as soon as summer 2018 .
baker graduated from hollywood high school and served in the army air corps during wwii, when he worked at lockheed aircraft in burbank. after his discharge, he worked for the george pal animation studios. amid labor unrest, he left pal and began marketing his own line of marionettes. he created window displays for prominent retailers around the country — and he did the same for storefront windows on disneyland’s main street, usa .
came here for a bday and my two year old daughter was enchanted by the holiday marionette show! most of the staff took the performance very seriously and seem to work hard at their craft. prior to the show the showroom was empty and just filled with balloons and the kids got to run and throw balloons around to get some energy out before sitting quietly to enjoy the show. parking is $ 5 cash only in their lot (no attendant), otherwise it was fairly easy to find street parking nearby. even at a young age kids seem to be addicted to iphones and games, but don' t write off the simple magic of a puppet show !
baker was also one of the first to popularize a cabaret style of puppetry for children, in which the puppeteers are incorporated into the show, rather than hiding behind set pieces. during his shows, it' s not uncommon for the puppets to get up close and personal with their audience. in the sketch book revue, for example, a pair of ostriches wag their tails and snap their beaks just inches from the crowd' s faces; a slinky black cat dressed as a jazz singer swishes her way into children' s laps; clowns on unicycles lean in for surprise embraces .
for now, though, evans and the puppeteers are busy preparing for a jam - packed month of performances of hooray la, another circa - 1960s puppet show, this time an ode to the great city of los angeles. there are dinosaur marionettes that melt into the la brea tar pits and earthquake set pieces that shake up the stage, brought to life with tiny strings and hand - carved wooden parts. it' s the sort of show only baker could have written, with his lifelong knowledge of the city and its history—the kind of history his staff fears may soon be forgotten .
“at age 85, he’s still the star of his company, ” explained puppeteer steve meltzer, owner of a santa monica puppetry center and president of the los angeles guild of puppetry. “there are performances where his presence is requested. ”
meltzer waltzed his song - and - dance - man figure named calvin collidisworth across the council desk as echo park puppeteer christine papalexis pranced a dog character called fluffy .
“i got to bark at bernard parks, ” papalexis said afterward. “that was cool. he asked, ‘does he bite? ’
“pinocchio asked if they were lying, was their nose growing, ” wilson said. “mr. [ ed ] reyes said no, they were all honest. mrs. [ janice ] hahn said no one is pulling her strings. ”
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we are located in beautiful downtown los angeles at the merging corners of 1st street, 2nd street, and glendale blvd .
the most common problem is finding yourself on beverly blvd. , going over the beverly street bridge and into or away from downtown .
street parking is available, but limited. we encourage you to arrive early .
there is a pay lot on glendale blvd. paybox cost is $ 5. 00 - cash only please be prepared to write your license plate number or space number on an envelope for payment provided at the paybox at the lot entrance on glendale blvd .
starting with song and dance in historic olvera st. with dinosaurs and skeletons, all the way through the limelight of hollywood! the show transports its audience with scenery crafted by john leland and spectacular light effects designed by richard shuler. the show brings life to the people and places of the city of angels !
for a limited time only, experience the 1933 earthquake, the development of the la freeways, the arrival of radio - all is its most entertaining form – through a puppet show .
to provide unique theatrical experiences; to educate, to celebrate, to rejuvenate puppetry and the allied arts .
adults + children over 2 - $ 15. 00 • children under 2 are free !
make you feel like you are part of the show. also, seeing all the kids having that much fun was entertaini
gotta come and check this out, and a bonus... there' s ice cream after the show! ! !
n in la. the staff are amazing artists. the puppets are original and in pristine condition .
it a great show and the kids loved it. at the end they gave us free ice cream �
this place has history and very unique. it is small but cute, went to the halloween show and it was awesome. very cool and kids liked it. i recommend and the staff was so friendly .
i love it! thought it had closed a few uears ago. have to take my grzndchild
and now for the greatest show in puppet history !
the circus
rumbles into town this weekend starting sat. 3 / 31 through sun. 6 / 10! are you ready for our 1948 sawdust spectacular? tickets at www. bobbakermarionettetheater. com! # bobbakermarionettetheater # thecircus # comingsoon # easterweekend # puppetshow # springbreak2018
tonight 3 / 25! 7pm! it' ll be a mystical magical laugh out loud eve in the woods with when puppets are your only friends! st. puppets day is on its way... with a little luck! tickets at www. bobbakermarionettetheater. com! * parental discretion advised. # bobbakermarionettetheater # whenpuppetsareyouronlyfriends # varietyshow
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the bob baker marionette theater , founded by bob baker and alton wood in 1963 , is the oldest children 's theater company in los angeles . in june 2009 , the theater was designated as a los angeles historic-cultural monument . 
the bob baker marionette theater, founded by bob baker and alton wood in 1963, is the oldest children's theater company in los angeles. in june 2009, the theater was designated as a los angeles historic-cultural monument.
the bob baker marionette theater, founded by bob baker and alton wood in 1963, is the oldest children's theater company in los angeles. in june 2009, the theater was designated as a los angeles historic-cultural monument.