Mr. Popper ‘s Penguins
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I received complimentary tickets for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins comes to The New Victory for its American debut from October 14 – 30, 2016. Adapted for the stage by UK’s Pins and Needles Productions, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is produced by Kenny Wax Family Entertainment (Hetty Feather, 2015 Olivier Award nominee) and TC Beech (Loserville the Musical, West End).
Avery Royce had a great time at the show, he really enjoyed the penguin puppets. This 4 man show relayed a funny story about Mr. Popper and how he got his penguins!
In the small town of Stillwater, Mr. and Mrs. Popper are pleasant, practical, predictable people. But when a package for the Poppers produces a penguin, chaos waddles into their lives! This brand new musical features a family of penguin puppets by Nick Barnes and original songs like “Chills 4 U” and “Poles Apart” in a fun and fast-paced 55 minutes. Presented for kids ages 4-7 and their families, the production will appear at Artsdepot in London following its U.S. Premiere.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins was first published in 1938. The whimsical story was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1939, won the inaugural Young Reader’s Choice Award in 1940 and received the inaugural Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. The story was later popularized in a 2011 film starring Jim Carrey.
Directed by Emma Earle, designed by Zoe Squire and featuring puppetry design by Nick Barnes, co-founder of London’s Blind Summit (Puss in Boots, New Vic 2010), Mr. Popper’s Penguins features lyrics by Richy Hughes (Stiles and Drewe Prize, 2015) and music by Luke Bateman. The cast includes Lucy Grattan (Greta/Admiral Drake), Scott Jones (Understudy/ASM), Toby Manley (Captain Cook/Mr. Greenbaum), Russell Morton (Mr. Popper) and Roxanne Palmer (Mrs. Popper). Lighting design is by Ric Mountjoy and sound design is by Jason Barnes.
Learn more about Mr. Popper’s Penguins on the New Victory website.
Public Performance Schedule: 16 performances
Friday, October 14 at 7pm
Saturday, October 15 at 11am / 3pm / 7pm
Sunday, October 16 at 11am / 3pm
Saturday, October 22 at 11am / 3pm / 7pm
Sunday, October 23 at 11am / 3pm*
Saturday, October 29 at 11am / 3pm / 7pm**
Sunday, October 30 at 11am / 3pm
*sign-interpreted performance **sensory-friendly performance
Mr. Popper’s Penguins has a running time of 55 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 4-7.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins is supported, in part, by a Presenter’s Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation.
Ticket Information
Tickets for Mr. Popper’s Penguins at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street) are $17 for Members and $25 at full price. Tickets are available online (NewVictory.org) and by telephone (646.223.3010). The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.