In this production, a classical piano recital masquerading as puppet show, young audiences experience masterworks by monumental composers for the instrument, not to mention an enthralling tune for toy piano (yes, toy piano!) by living composer Stephen Montague.  Three pieces for piano are collected in this hour-long spectacle for children and children-at-heart, all performed in their entirety, live, by acclaimed pianist Mary Rose Norell.  Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Frederic Chopin’s Scherzo in b flat minor, and Montague’s Mirabella a Tarantella (for toy piano) are each realized by a cast of Blair Thomas’s handmade puppets of all kinds, from bunraku dolls to larger-than-life human-sized costumes.  Featuring brand-new characters and narratives, this delightful family show exercises the imagination and reveals the magical power of wordless music.

View the complete schedule here.

Photos by Joe Mazza at Brave Lux

“a masterwork”