I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love live theatre. As a former Drama school student, I simply could not wait to introduce my daughter to Columbia’s theatre scene. As my little one is still under two years old, her theatre experiences have primarily been at The Columbia Marionette Theatre. My daughter and I have taken in three of their productions so far. Some shows we saw more than once because we loved them that much. I’m looking at you Dino Tales!
The Columbia Marionette Theatre’s latest production of Little Red Riding Hood is no exception. A modern twist on a much beloved classic; the puppet show centers on the well-known tale of a little girl who becomes lost on her way to grandmother’s house. CMT’s show involves many of the original characters we have come to associate with Red Riding Hood whilst introducing a Wise Owl as the narrator. Instead of a red coat, CMT’s Red sports a red hoodie and Grandma looks quite hip in a sparkly purple track suit. One of the major ways the Marionette Theatre’s performance veers from the original is by incorporating themes from the Three Little Pigs. The Pigs introduce a delightfully funny take on the “not so” Big Bad Wolf. The tale’s scenery and conversation has become modernized which leads its way to many jokes aimed at us parents. I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times when the Three Little Pigs were on stage.
For those concerned that the Big Bad Wolf might frighten your young child, please do not be worried. At the very beginning the Owl addresses the Big Bad Wolf’s reputation, explaining that the Wolf in the puppet show is not so tough at all, even if he wishes he were. As a mom of a toddler I greatly appreciate the theatre addressing the audience’s concern right off the bat.
Another wonderful perk of Columbia Marionette Theatre is their Marionette Mondays, which give the audience the ability to go back stage for a behind the scenes guided tour. The theatre’s puppeteers show you how the production is put together and demonstrate how the marionettes move. For me, this is always my favorite part of visiting CMT. Afterwards, you and your kids can play with a few puppets and even purchase one of your own. I highly recommend you visit the Columbia Marionette Theatre with your kids!
The Columbia Marionette Theatre is conveniently located next to downtown Columbia’ s Riverfront Park at 401 Laurel Street. There is plenty of parking and very tidy bathrooms :). CMT hosts Marionette Monday’s the third Monday of every month at 10 a.m., as well as performances every Saturday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 and under 2 is free. Little Red Riding Hood runs through the end of March.
Disclaimer: Columbia SC Moms Blog was not compensated in any way for this post. We just genuinely LOVE this business and wanted to share the word with our wonderful readers.
We love the marionette too! I would mutch rather to take our son to a live show vs a movie because I feel like it engages the child more and encourages them to use their imaginations. I have seen ads for the Columbia children’s theater but haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. Does anyone know anything about it?
I agree, Stacey! I would take a show over a movie any day. I love that CMT gives children the opportunity to explore the theatre. It fosters their creativity so much! I would love to visit the Columbia Children’s Theatre. I see that they are doing the The Stinky Cheese Man in March. It was one of my favorite children’s books growing up!
Stacey, the Marionette Theater is a live show, though it’s prerecorded. A friend of ours works doing plays for children. The company he with which he is involved is called NIA. Check it out! 🙂 They even offer special sensory-friendly plays for children with autism and SPD.
https://www.facebook.com/niacompany
*plays with Children’s Theater.
I can’t wait to take the boys to this place!!! It will give our family something to do on these cold Saturday mornings!!!
I love this place too!