Review: ‘Puppet Up! – Uncensored’ at Montalbán Theatre
- Raj Walia
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
As the old saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
In “Puppet Up! – Uncensored” — returning to Los Angeles at the Montalbán Theatre through March 1 — Brian Henson and troupe have put together an awesome assembly of puppets and made them funny, relevant and ADULT!
The troupe offers a great evening of taking random scenarios — and I mean RANDOM! — thrown out from the audience, fielded by improv artist Patrick Bristow, and on-the-spot creating short, comedic stories around those shoutouts.
What really makes this show unique, however, is Brian’s focus on what he learned about his father Jim Henson’s original works. To start the show, Brian gives us some insights into his father’s entrance into the world of puppeteering and the merger into television.
Jim Henson not only brought puppets to TV but made them the centerpiece of the screen. He made television fit the puppets, so to speak, which is part of the magic that made those puppets come to life, filling our family rooms with their presence back in the day.
In “Puppet Up! – Uncensored,” Brian uses the power of the camera and his father’s “trick” to not only have dozens of MISKREANT puppets act out the parts but fit them in live video displays on screens. The audience not only gets to watch expert puppeteers in action, but also see the results, in real time, on TV monitors.
It’s a meaningful and fitting extension of Jim Henson’s works for Brian to bring the production so close to his audience. We almost get to feel Jims’s presence through the performances and through Brian’s dedication.
If you know anything about the Muppets or Sesame Street, this production offers a truly immersive tribute to that groundbreaking artwork. The audience gets to laugh out loud through the whole show, seeing crazy puppets and talented puppeteers enact fantastical stories that we help create.
“Puppet Up!” continues through March 1 at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine St., Los Angeles, with shows Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $54 and can be purchased by visiting PuppetUp.com or TheMontalban.com. Run time is 2 hours, including intermission.