‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins,’ its puppets, at Playhouse Square

Adaptation of family-friendly tale has traveled from beginnings in United Kingdom

When a theater company decides to bring a musical adaptation of Richard and Florence Atwater’s popular book “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” to the stage, you’d better bet that means one thing: penguin puppetry magic. ¶ “From the moment the first penguin, Capt. Cook, is revealed, you hear a gasp in the audience,” said Casa Mañana Director of Theater for Youth Noah Putterman, calling from Fort Worth, Texas. “From that moment on, they’re hooked. They’re under the spell of the penguins. You forget there is a person operating this puppet.

“We’re not trying to hide it. They’re not dressed in black — they’re just there operating this beautiful puppet and you believe it immediately. It’s that suspension of disbelief that is sort of sometimes hard to find. but this material just allows you to enter that world instantly.”

The narrative revolves around painter and decorator Mr. Popper, who spends his time dreaming of Antarctic adventures. He’s astounded when one day a packing crate arrives on his doorstep and a penguin waddles out.

This children’s musical comes to Northeast Ohio as part of Playhouse Square’s Children’s Theater Series. “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” appears Jan. 27 and 28 at the Ohio Theatre.

The shows also include Children’s Theater Series workshops (additional $5 admission for each child) taking place before or after each performance. The affairs led by professional teaching artists feature opportunities to learn songs and dance steps, create performances and music.

As for “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” the Casa Mañana adaptation, which was created by Pins & Needles Productions in the U.K., debuted to rave reviews last year off-Broadway.

The added appeal for the director was while most theatergoers would have a basic familiarity with the title — perhaps from the 2011 feature film starring Jim Carrey — the actual story was a bit unclear.

“We felt very strongly that even if you’ve never heard of ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins,’ by the time you sit down and the show begins and you see the first penguin, your expectations will not only be met but will be exceeded just because it’s so charming,” Putterman said.

“It’s such a lovely, beauti- fully put-together piece of storytelling.” That story also includes something for the adults. While the kids are enthralled with the puppets and the fun story, underneath is a subtle message about marriage that, Putterman said, has resonated with audiences.

“What I wanted to do mostly was tell the clear story of the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Popper, the human element of it,” Putterman said. “Really any marriage after some time can grow stale.

“Sometimes all it takes is that little spark to get something that changes the old habits and reminds us why they are they together in the first place. I think that was really alive in the story, but I really wanted to bring that out more.”

While the cliché among children’s productions is they have something both kids and adults will enjoy, Putterman said “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” os is indeed for a wide age range.

“It sort of celebrates everything you love about theater,” Putterman said. “It’s all about magic and imagination and creative storytelling, which when you really have all of those ingredients in a show for young people it becomes a really special experience.”

SUBMITTED PHOTOS The stage version of ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ is powered, partly, by puppet penguins.

It’s children’s theater, so expect big, expressive faces on the actors in ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins.”