Get ready for a larger-than-life anniversary celebration! Friday, November 11 – Sunday, November 13, the Center for Puppetry Arts will celebrate the first anniversary of its Worlds of Puppetry Museum with a weekend full of activities, including the opening weekend of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the premiere of the Center’s newest iconic museum acquisition, Topthorn from the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of War Horse. The weekend will also include a viewing of the documentary Making War Horse with an introduction by Cheryl Henson, daughter of Jim Henson and Center for Puppetry arts board member, as well as a discussion with performer, designer and puppet artist Tom Lee, who performed in War Horse at Lincoln Center.
Cheryl Henson recently acquired Topthorn at auction from the National Theatre in London and donated it to the Center’s museum. Built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, Topthorn was one of the two main characters in War Horse. At 10 feet long, the figure is larger than a real horse. This is the first Handspring puppet in the Center for Puppetry Arts’ collection. War Horse is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo. The show opened at London’s National Royal Theatre in 2007 and has toured 11 countries.
On Saturday, November 12, after patrons have had a chance to view the new Topthorn display, the Center will present a screening of the documentary Making War Horse with an introduction by Henson. Following the screening, Lee will take questions and discuss his role in War Horse. Lee has been on numerous stages in New York. Other credits include his performance in Dan Hurlin’s Obie-award winning Hiroshima Maiden and Disfarmer, and Lee Breuer’s epic puppet opera La Divina Caricatura.
In addition to unveiling Topthorn, the Center will be rotating items in the Worlds of Puppetry Museum throughout the month of November. Twenty new pieces will debut in the Jim Henson Collection, including Fazoobs from The Muppet Show and new pieces from Fraggle Rock, Dog City and The Song of Cloud Forest. Guests can see the new additions and round out the weekend with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, after which they can make and take home a Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster™ Hand Puppet. The holiday classic has become an Atlanta tradition!
