Bob Baker Marionette Theater will bid farewell to longtime home
After more than five decades, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater says it will leave its original home near downtown Los Angeles at the end of November, with plans to relocate.
The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the oldest children’s theater in Los Angeles and the oldest puppet theater in the United States, will host a free, day-long closing celebration on Nov. 23, the same date it opened 55 years ago.
The theater said in a news release that it will announce a new location at some point in the future. The new space is designed from original and unrealized concepts by Bob Baker, according to the release.
The future of the theater, located at Glendale Boulevard and 1st Street, had long been uncertain. It has been struggling financially since 2008. The property was sold in 2013.
The L.A. City Council designated the theater a historic cultural landmark in 2009.
During the final two months in its current space, the theater will continue to host shows and seasonal events.
On Nov. 24, “Bob Baker’s Nutcracker” will open at the Pasadena Playhouse and run for five weeks.
“As Los Angeles experiences a time of change and development, the Theater is energized to creatively seize the opportunity to grow as a cultural resource to educate, rejuvenate and celebrate puppetry and the allied arts,” the theater said in a release.
Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
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