If you’re looking for ways to steep yourself in Halloween and fall vibes without ge, start here. Bob Baker Marionette Theater flips the switch on Halloween early this year with its Hallowe’en Spooktacular, a one hour blast of marionettes, music, and glow-soaked stage tricks.
The local legend status is real. Bob Baker has pulled strings in Los Angeles since 1963, which puts the theater at more than six decades of charm and chaos. You feel that history the moment the curtain rises. If you haven’t seen one of their shows before, you’re missing out on an absolute gem.
Throughout the course of the show, which lasts about an hour, hand made marionettes glide through a range of classic musical numbers. Think Frankenstein’s monster tapping away, a dreamy trip to Venus, and a parade of ghosts that wink at you from the footlights. This year’s production adds a Día de los Muertos sequence that celebrates the holiday and the community. The lighting team paints the room, the music pops, and the whole thing moves fast enough to keep kids locked in and you smiling.
Warm, funny, a little spooky, and very Los Angeles. It feels like a neighborhood block party where the neighbors happen to be marionettes. Once the show ends, the audience is welcome to come take pictures with the marionettes, and indulge in free ice cream. Oh yeah, did we mention that there’s free ice cream at the end? There’s free ice cream at the end.
You want Halloween vibes without sacrificing your sleep? Looking for something to take the whole family to? This show delivers, big time. Grab a seat, say hi to Dracula on the way in, and let the strings do the rest. Watching a skeleton nail choreography beats doomscrolling every time.
Shows run September 6 through November 9 at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park.
Costume parades start in October. A sensory friendly performance runs October 11 at 10:30 am, and ASL interpreted shows run October 18 at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm.
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