Review: THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW at The Kleberg At ZACH

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW and his menagerie of animal friends have arrived at ZACH! Colorful puppets and delightful puppeteers team up to bring to life four of Eric Carle's most beloved stories. A larger-than-life brown bear, a purple cat with an attitude, and a cute white dog that jumps up and down with excitement; are amongst some of the puppets that tell the story of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Children and adults chant the words of the story as the puppeteers introduce each character. The excitement continues with 10 Little Rubber Ducks. With an array of new puppets and a clever set design that transforms the Kleberg into an ocean, we follow the path of these ten little guys until they each find a home. The puppets in this story are two-dimensional but masterfully managed to come to life. The audience remains enchanted when a beautiful, colorful firefly enters the scene and we learn about The Very Lonely Firefly. Finally, The Very Hungry Caterpillar makes its appearance and the children burst with excitement. "Yum Yum Yum", says the tiny caterpillar as he pokes his head through candy and fruit, enticing laughter and encouragement from the audience. It is in this story, that we get to appreciate the wonderful acting skills of Chase Brewer who commands the voice of this hungry little fellow with delightful charm and playfulness.

The puppets, courtesy of Rockefeller Productions, are as animated and joyful as the children they are meant to entertain, creating an instant connection between them. The puppets are each unique and complex, some are technically challenging and require the puppeteer to use multiple points to move them. Some are two-dimensional and managed with a long stick. Nevertheless, the actors at The Kleberg masterfully puppeteer each piece to create realistic movements that give life to the characters in Eric Carle's four beloved stories.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW is the perfect way to introduce the younger members of the family to live theatre. Enchant your little ones with this beautiful, fun, and creative show!

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller and based on Eric Carle's books, THE VERY HUNGRY. CATERPILLAR SHOW stars both, an adult and student cast of puppeteers. Now playing at The Kleberg at Zach through March 8, 2020, under the direction of Education and School Shows Coordinator Shannon Fox.

Adult Cast includes Chase Brewer and Jessica O'Brien. Student Cast includes Chloe Van De Graaf, Wilkes Goodner, Sloane Johnson, and Jaxie Watts with Emma Gullion as Swing.

Age recommendation: 12 months and up

Run time: 45 minutes with no intermission

The Kleberg at ZACH | 1421 W. Riverside Dr., Austin, TX 78704

Tickets are $19 (Youth) and $27 (Adult) and are available at the ZACH box office - (512) 476-0541, x1; zachtheatre.org

For more information: http://zachtheatre.org/caterpillar

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