Bob Baker's Halloween Hoop-De-Doo

I first saw Bob Baker's Marionette Theater back in March 2005, when Charles Phoenix offered a slide show there to a group from the Los Angeles Conservancy (see March 2009 post). We also got a taste of Bob's marionette mastery, including meeting Bob, taking a peek in his workshop and having ice cream in the party room.

Since then, I've heard about tough times for Bob and his puppets, including the potential sale of the Theater. I was thrilled to hear about his Halloween Hoop-De-Doo show and knew I had to go while I had a chance. It was fantastic! I sat in the adults-without-kids section (there actually were several of us there) while it was mostly parents or grandparents with toddlers. All ages had a great time, cheering and laughing for the full hour.

Here you see Dracula and Vampira (with their human companions holding the strings) entertaining the audience. We also saw multiple blacklight acts which were totally cool, plus the Purple People Eater and the Invisible Man, courtesy of Bob's troupe. And, yes, we all got ice cream in the party room afterward.

The Theater dates back to 1960, and most locals haven't seen a show since childhood. I'm going back for Bob's Nutcracker show over the holidays, while I still can. I'll hope to see you there!

Click here to go to Bob Baker's Web site.