(Photo by Omar Gaieck)
Reviewed by Joel Beers
Ricardo Montalbán Theatre
Through August 9
RECOMMENDED
(Photo by Omar Gaieck)
If religion and politics have traditionally been verboten topics around the dinner table, improvisational comedy and hand puppetry are the Brussels sprouts and anchovies of the theatrical world — art forms that, on their own, are often dismissed as lightweight, juvenile or mere entertainment. The thought of pairing them together might seem unpalatable at best.
But in the right hands, fueled by superior craft, discipline and fertile imagination, they become showcases for the precision, spontaneity and creative risk-taking that make live performance so exhilarating.
For proof, look no further than Puppet Up! the live improvisational puppet show from the Jim Henson Company, launched nearly 20 years ago by Henson’s son, Brian Henson. Directed by Patrick Bristow, the production combines skilled puppeteers with talented improvisers who must think, react and create mostly unscripted scenes based on audience suggestions.
The audience sees both the puppeteers and the puppets they manipulate, but Puppet Up! is not simply a showcase of traditional hand puppetry. The performers remain visible, creating a fascinating second layer as they bring their characters to life. Live cameras project the puppets onto large screens flanking the stage, magnifying every expression and movement in real time.
The result is essentially two performances happening simultaneously: the controlled chaos of the puppeteers’ choreography below and the fully realized puppet characters performing above. In some sketches, including a James Bond-inspired sequence, digital augmentation and visual effects expand the possibilities even further, blending practical puppetry with technology in ways that reflect the Henson legacy of innovation and experimentation.
Host Ithamar Enriquez is ideal for the role, blending affable self-deprecation with the energy of a game show host and the precision of a traffic cop guiding controlled mayhem.
The puppeteers rotate from show to show. During this Saturday matinee, they included Steph Scheer, Peggy Etra, Sarah Oh, Grant Baciocco, Ben Schrader and Dan Garza. They are not merely performers operating puppets; they are actors, improvisers and storytellers, many with impressive vocal abilities, constantly responding to one another while simultaneously creating characters, scenes and narratives hidden in plain sight.
The promotional material for the show emphasizes its adults-only content, and while there were certainly moments during the performance that leaned mature, the humor was rarely more provocative than a typical late-night sketch comedy show.
The sketches themselves were comparatively tame, even if the premise suggests otherwise. Some are entirely improvised, while others are built around established frameworks or set pieces.
In one piece, a randomly selected couple is brought onstage and asked to provide details about their first date — where they went, what they ordered and their initial impressions of each other. Armed with nothing more than those fragments, the cast reenacts the evening, transforming ordinary memories into an absurd and often hilariously inaccurate interpretation.
Other pieces rely on audience suggestions but are structured around familiar formats. A dating-game sketch asks the audience to determine why each of three bachelors is not Mr. Right — one constantly interrupts, another is always right and the third is an influencer. Another sketch places three murder suspects in jail, with the audience supplying the location and the personality traits of their victims. During this performance, the murders took place at Comic-Con, with victims including a Trekkie, a “Galaxy Quest” superfan and a mother.
Two sketches depart entirely from the improvisational format because they were written decades ago by Jim Henson and originally performed on television in the 1960s.
Business Business, first aired on The Ed Sullivan Show, features strange creatures spouting repetitive corporate jargon and financial doublespeak, gradually confronted by equally strange characters preaching peace and love. The conflict escalates into an absurd armed confrontation, with the counterculture creatures ultimately becoming indistinguishable from the capitalist forces they oppose.
The other, Music Hath Charms, features a pianist — originally performed by Kermit — attempting to soothe increasingly hostile monsters through the power of music.
While both pieces lack the unpredictable, high-octane quality of the improvised sketches, they connect with Brian Henson’s opening remarks about the evolution of the Muppets and the unique challenges of bringing puppetry to television. Taken together with the rest of the production, they reveal the larger artistic ambition behind Puppet Up — to demonstrate that puppetry is not merely a children’s medium or a nostalgic curiosity. In the hands of skilled performers, it can explore satire, conflict, emotion and the full range of human experience.
Or just be laugh-your-ass-off funny.
Beyond the adult humor, improvisation and novelty of seeing puppets onstage, the lasting impression is the extraordinary talent of the performers. These puppeteers are not simply manipulating objects; they are creating characters, directing scenes and building stories in real time.
That is the unexpected pleasure of Puppet Up. What initially sounds like a strange theatrical combination turns out to be a surprisingly satisfying recipe — proof that even Brussels sprouts and anchovies can work when prepared by masters of the craft.
Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine St, Hollywood. Fri., 7 pm, Sat., 3 & 7 pm, Sun., 5 pm. www.puppetup.com. Runtime: approximately two hours with a 15-minute intermission.
