Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater
Altamonte Mall
451 E. Altamonte Drive, Suite 1389 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
I recently went to the Altamonte mall with my son when I walked past a tiny children’s theater. Although I have been to this mall a million times, I never even looked twice at this venue. It was conveniently located next to the play area too, right in front of Sears on the lower level. On this particular day, we arrived when showtimes were playing and the theater was open to the public. The attendant was making announcements that, Pinocchio, was going to start in a few minutes. I decided to take a peak.
As I head toward the ticket counter, I asked the attendant more about the theater. It was founded by David Eaton in 1999. He opened his business at the Altamonte mall in 2009. Since then, they have offered puppet shows for children every day of the week, three times a day. Mondays-Fridays: 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, Saturdays & Sundays: 12:30pm, 2:45pm, 5pm.
The shows are usually about folklore stories and fairy tales such as: Pinocchio, Hansel and Gretel, Aladdin and The Wonderful Lamp, The Little Drummer Boy and other Christmas Carols,The Wizard of OZ, Cinderella, Peter Pan And Wendy, Jack And The Beanstalk, Rumpelstiltskin, and more. They also use their production team to create new plays, puppets, stages, costumes, etc. The team is currently working on a new production of, Beauty and the Beast, that will be playing from October 17 to December 2, 2012.
The theater also holds affordable birthday parties and can be rented out for private viewing. They also cater to groups and schools. Also, during the summer, they run camps. Children learn how to handle the puppets. At the end of the camp session, the children put on a final performance with the puppet instructors. I purchased my $6.00 ticket and decided to give it a try. My son was free (children under the age of two years old are not charged). During showtime, we entered a red room with high chandeliers. The seating consisted of padded backless benches for small children to sit and pews for adults. The audience can also sit on the floor. There was a tiny puppet theater in the middle of the room.
As the play began, the lights dimmed, the curtains were drawn, and tiny wooden puppets attached to strings began to come alive. They would sing songs and dance on stage. My son was completely entertained the entire time and so was I. The show was approximately 30 minutes long.
I am pleased to give this enchanting children’s venue a wonderful review. The tickets are affordable and the show is adorable. Perfect for a rainy or hot summer day. I look forward to bringing my son to future plays and hope you will too.
For show information please visit http://www.pinocchios.net/shows.html. For more information regarding the theater, please visit their website at Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater.
