Interview: Jonathan Rockefeller Has His Hands in All Aspects of THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR HOLIDAY SHOW!

The global tour of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Holiday Show! finally makes its Los Angeles debut at the El Portal Theatre November 25, 2023 (playing through January 21, 2024). Based on Eric Carle’s children’s books, show creator Jonathan Rockefeller directs the cast of Paula Moore, Becki Park, Sean Tibangin and Leonard Moore manipulating 75 life-sized puppets.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Jonathan!

What first piqued your interest in creating a show around Eric Carle stories?

One of my favorite books as a child was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I still have my original book from way back when. Eric Carle’s illustrations have always been evocative in their creativity, and are familiar to families around the world, so I had a thought about ten years ago that it would make a great stage production for families. Fortunately, Eric agreed.

Out of Eric’s 40+ books, what criteria did you use in picking the four stories used in The Very Hungry Caterpillar Holiday Show!?

Different productions of the show have used different stories, but for this run - our very first in L.A. - we wanted to focus on some of the most well-beloved stories, as well as one very special holiday tale.

Every production ends with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but Brown Bear, Brown Bear is also a universally beloved favorite, and features some really grand, eye-popping puppets. 10 Little Rubber Ducks is all about family and our connection with others, so that seems like a great story to share around the holiday season. And of course, Dream Snow is a story about a farmer gifting his animals presents for the holiday, so it makes for a perfect dose of seasonal magic.

Are the four stories separate acts in this show? Or are they tied together with one plot?

The stories are told word for word the original Eric Carle text, told one after another. Three performers guide us all through the stories, puppeteering every animal as they appear in the books. Little fans won’t be disappointed as their favorite characters come to life onstage.

How involved was Eric in the pre-production of this show?

Because every single puppet is based on an original Eric Carle illustration, Eric was involved in one way or another. Fortunately, he loved all our character designs and ambitions of what they would look like on stage. It was wonderful to get to know Eric over many years through the different iterations of the show we’ve made, as both an artist and a friend; but especially when he was able to sit and watch his books come to life surrounded by a very appreciative audience.

What do your casting notices ask for? (Can work with puppets?)

While having puppet experience is always helpful, we find it just as important for performers to be able to naturally showcase themselves through their puppetry. They should also be able to characterize different animals, as there are 75 different puppets. They also need to have a good sense of timing and movement, as the stories are very lyrical and beautiful. Of course, it also helps if you know how caterpillars move, but sometimes we have to teach that skill.

How long has the gestation period of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Holiday Show! been?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show first debuted on stage in 2014, and has been entertaining audiences ever since. Excitingly, though, this is the first time The Very Hungry Caterpillar is coming to L.A., and just in time for the holidays!

Your puppets are stunning duplications of Eric’s illustrations. Were your puppets created in-house?

Our puppets were all designed and built by our in-house studio, The Rock Shop. Faithfully and lovingly constructed to match the original illustrations with an incredible team of builders and artists.

Has your script changed in the eight years it’s been touring?

The text in the show is exactly as it was originally written in Eric Carle’s books. Young audiences love it. It’s like seeing fans at a rock concert that know the words to their greatest hits, and they’ll sometimes even bring their books to read along!

What did you want to be growing up? Writer? Director? Producer? Puppeteer?

As a child, I wanted to be an artist, which is what I regard myself first and foremost. The best thing about what I do is that I can create pictures using an entirely different palette: a stage, lights, puppets, actors, and a wonderful source material to draw from.

You were born in Australia. Do you notice any differences in the responses of Australian audiences vs. American audiences?

Eric Carle’s books are so universal and well-beloved that, no matter where the show is performed, you’ll hear children cheering and participating in whatever their native language might be.

What originally got you into puppetry?

Australia has a very rich history of locally produced local puppetry content on television, so growing up I suppose I watched a lot of it. Part of my fascination was working out how they achieved different effects. Although it was never a conscience decision to get into puppetry, I suppose I had it banked away at the back of my brain somewhere that it was a wonderful mechanism to tell stories.

What’s next for Jonathan Rockefeller?

We recently discovered that on any given day across the globe, there is a Rockefeller production being performed somewhere. We’re excited to grow this number, not just in quantity, but in diversity as well. Sesame Street The Musical is finishing up its second New York City run before some exciting developments next year. Disney’s Winnie the Pooh is headed to Japan after finishing up tours in the UK, Netherlands and Australia. We have some brand-new projects in the works that will be hitting stages next year, and - perhaps inspired by our L.A. debut - we’ll be exploring new cities that we’ve never visited before.

Our team is full of inspiring, ambitious creatives, and we’re lucky enough to get to work with some of the most beloved characters in the world, so can’t wait to bring new stories to life in ways that keep us creatively fulfilled.

Thank you again, Jonathan! I look forward to meeting your puppets.

For tickets to the live performances of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Holiday Show! through January 21, 2024; click on the button below:

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