By Christi Geary

Have you ever been to an event where you have no idea what to expect and then you were completely blown away? Well, that’s exactly what happened when I took my youngest daughter (age 6) and my mom to see The Frisch Marionettes‘ Puppets KapOw! What an absolutely fantastic hour of laughter, discovery and learning!

Kevin Frisch is an amazing one-man show and true puppet master. His ability to create and bring to life puppets of all types (marionettes, shadow, hand, rod…who knew there were so many types of puppets?!) in a way that brings the audience into their world is extraordinary. Even more, his passion shines through with every flick of his wrist and humor-filled dialogue. Before the lights went down, he asked the kids to come down close and introduced Nicolai, his main puppet. He helped the kids understand how the marionettes worked, while also showcasing Nicolai’s antics and misbehavior. The giggles could not be contained, nor could the sheer delight at a puppet who clearly struggled to listen to directions.

The show was non-stop fun, with beautiful music, great lighting and a fun stage set-up that enabled the audience to be taken into the puppets’ stories at the blink of an eye. From the trio of dancing ladies to the endearing Ugly Duckling shadows to a beautiful underwater scene to the finale of a puppet with a puppet, it was pure delight for everyone in the audience. Once the puppet portion of the show was over, Kevin’s passion once again lit up the stage as he taught the kids how to make their own different types of puppets and answered their questions. As an added bonus, the kids were allowed to meet Nicolai and take a picture.

To give you an idea of how special this event was for my daughter, she ran up to us before the show was even over and asked if we could make our own puppet this weekend! She continued to talk about the show this morning before school. There are more shows this weekend on Saturday 3/11 and Sunday 3/12 at 2 PM and 5 PM each day at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati‘s headquarters at 4015 Red Bank Road, Cincinnati, OH 45227. Don’t miss an opportunity to experience a delightful show that will equally embrace your imagination and teach you something new to do with your kids!

Kevin Frisch also helped create the puppets for the upcoming The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s Tarzan show, taking place at the Taft Theater from April 1-2 and 7-9, 2017. Come out and experience the magic!

 
Christi Geary is the proud mom of two girls under 10, best friend and wife of her husband Brian, and an Associate Director at the Procter & Gamble Company focused on shopper insights and analytics. She enjoys art of all kinds, feeds an insatiable curiosity for learning, pursues different forms of exercise when she can find the time, and delights in spending time with family and friends!