Highland Park welcomes a beloved Los Angeles landmark!
After years of struggling to stay afloat in one of the largest entertainment ran cities in the world, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater sadly closed the doors to its longtime Westlake home for good. [Featured Photo: Bob Baker Marionette Theater]
Fast forward to February, the month which late local puppeteer Bob Baker would have turned 95, to an announcement that the iconic landmark will be moving to a new neck of the woods. The Highland Park location contains over 40 percent more space than the theatre had in Westlake, with about 10,000 square feet dedicated to performances and programs. Long lost fans can attend sneak peeks and community shows, but the theater will preview their new season during preceding a new grand opening come Fall.
If you’ve had the chance to pass by the theater’s old lot in Westlake, you may have noticed the former site is currently in the process of becoming an apartment complex. But don’t get too down, the BBMT press release states that it will serve its former community by expanding pop-up performances, hosting a residency at Pasadena Playhouse, and finalizing a future residency with Occidental College’s Oxy Arts!
This Saturday, February 23, stop by the Los Angeles State Park for the fifth annual Bob Baker Day for a free event including live music, a carnival, food trucks, as well as a puppet-making workshop! And since they’re now a nonprofit, there will be lots of ways to contribute to fundraising so that the theater can support its work. If you’ve always dreamt of the day where you could walk up to someone and say: Hey, that’s my seat… you can purchase nameplate with your name on it for $1,000 (so worth it.)
Location: 4949 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042. See it on Google maps.