In celebration of National Day of Puppetry on Saturday, April 26, Center for Puppetry Arts guests will be able to enjoy puppeteer Mallory Lewis, and the iconic Lamb Chop, as they return to Atlanta audiences with Lamb Chop 2.0: Everything You Wanted To Know About Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop, But Were Afraid to Ask, hosted by Nicolosi. Along with this special one-night only Lamb Chop show, there will be a host of other activities including performances of E.B. White’s classic tale of unlikely friendship in Charlotte’s Web, exclusive sock puppet making workshops, a Members-Only film and a fun-filled visit from the Center’s ownmascot puppet: Sockly.
The day begins with performances of the Center for Puppetry Arts production of E.B. White’s award-winning tale, Charlotte’s Web at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Recommended for ages four and older, the show features Charlotte the friendly spider – and her plan to save Wilbur the pig and make him famous using her wits, words and webs! With a colorful cast of barnyard characters including the old sheep and Templeton the gluttonous rat, this heartwarming story of unlikely friendship will have everyone cheering: “Terrific, terrific, terrific!” Each of these performances will be followed by the Center’s signature Create-A-Puppet Workshops, during which children (and adults!) can create their very own Charlotte the Spider Marionette and perform with it on the classroom stage.
Beginning at 4 p.m., the Atlanta Puppetry Guild, Atlanta’s chapter of Puppeteers of America, will be on hand performing with walk-around puppets and demonstrating different puppetry styles. There will be lots of extra puppets on hand for patrons to try!
As part of the celebration, all guests will be invited to become puppet makers and puppeteers, too, when they visit the third floor to build their own one-of-a-kind sock puppet. For Charlotte’s Web guests only, these sock puppets (and their human companions) will then become a part of living history as they assemble for a photo that will commemorate the largest gathering of sock puppets in the world; an unofficial record that is currently held by the Center for Puppetry Arts after 88 sock puppets were captured in the 2013 National Day of Puppetry photograph.
As one of the many highlights of the National Day of Puppetry, patrons will be able to meet the loveable Lamb Chop and her ‘kid sister’ Mallory Lewis, daughter of the late Shari Lewis, whose performances never fail to rekindle cherished memories in those who grew up enjoying the charismatic duo her mother created. The performance, hosted by world-renowned artist Nicolosi, salutes over 70 years of Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop. Everyone’s favorite lamb will be further honored by the launch of a new commemorative United States Postal Service stamp, featuring Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop and painted by Nicolosi, to be on display in the Center’s museum during the celebration.
To conclude the day’s festivities, Center for Puppetry Arts Members are invited to attend a free screening of The Muppet Musicians of Bremen film at 7p.m. Directed by Jim Henson, this 50 minute film, narrated by Kermit the Frog, showcases a group of gallant, jazz-playing animals as they work to escape from an oppressive farm in hopes to make it to freedom and fame. This viewing of the charming and music-filled modern fable is only available for Members of the Center for Puppetry Arts.
Event times are as follows:
· American Puppetry Tour: 12:00 p.m.
· Charlotte’s Web performance: 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
· Behind the Scenes Tour: 2:00 p.m.
· Charlotte’s Web performance: 2:00 p.m.
· Make Your Own Sock Puppet: 2:30p p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
· Lamb Chop 2.0 performance: 3:00 p.m.
· Presentations by the Atlanta Puppetry Guild: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
· ‘World-Record-Breaking Sock Puppet Photo’: 5:00 p.m.
· Muppets Musicians of Bremen film: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS FOR CHARLOTTES WEB ARE $9.25 (MEMBERS) / $16.50 (NONMEMBERS) AND CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR BY CALLING THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT 404-873-3391.
TICKETS FOR LAMB CHOP 2.0 ARE $13.25 (MEMBERS) / $20.50 (NONMEMBERS) AND CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR BY CALLING THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT 404-873-3391.
Tickets for Lamb Chop 2.0 and Charlotte’s Web include Museum admission, as well as the opportunity for children to make their own sock puppet.
