Before becoming a successful writer and illustrator of children’s books, Mo Willems lived on “Sesame Street.” He won Emmys for his writing there, later saying that a puppet could make even a mediocre script seem pretty funny.
After finding the kids’ book bestseller lists with such series as “The Pigeon” and “Elephant and Piggie,” Willems is sort of back where he started, with puppets, video and simple animation — and a far-from-mediocre script.
Leah Casey, Karly Gesine Bergmann and Kevin Michael Wesson in the Minnesota premiere of “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster,” created by Manual Cinema, which will run from Jan. 8 – March 9, 2025 at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. (Glen Stubbe / Children’s Theatre Company)
Those are the elements within “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster.” It’s a creation of Manual Cinema, a Chicago group that’s a combination of theater company and video production team. The troupe has taken two of Willems’ books, “Leonardo, the Terrible Monster” and “Sam, the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World”, and adapted them into a totally delightful 45 minutes of theater that’s currently bringing ample warmth to Children’s Theatre Company’s street-level space.
Yes, “Leonardo!” is a theater piece, but it’s also something like attending the taping of a TV show. Manual Cinema uses video cameras, old-fashioned overhead projectors, puppets, paper and some very clever synth-pop-style songs to tell this story, projecting the finished product onto a screen above the stage while the audience is in on the magic trick.
So, if the story doesn’t engage you, you can always admire the artistry of these combination actors/animators/puppeteers as they glide from one onstage station to the next, executing pinpoint timing as they swoop beneath the camera’s gaze and pull a puppet, prop or set piece into view and give voice to a character.
It’s one of those rare works for young children that has enough witty wordplay with adult-level references to make the grownups laugh out loud. And its music and message are so tenderly delivered as to provide needed comfort to those of any age.
The theme of “Leonardo!” feels like a timely one: Fear. Fresh from a starring role in our latest election campaigns, it’s the raison d’etre of the furry green monster, Leonardo, who feels a failure because he doesn’t seem to be able to frighten anyone. He’s mocked and bullied by other monsters, but launches a quest to find a kid predisposed to trepidation and terrify them.
The child he finds is Sam, who seems to have the requisite fear factor, but may offer Leonardo greater rewards than just the adrenaline rush of alarming someone. In the story’s second half, we meet another child, Kerry, who has the same perpetual unease as Sam and we get to watch the two gradually open up to a new friendship.
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Aiding the story immeasurably are the songs of Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter. They’re delivered by the guitar-strumming, buoyant-voiced Lily Emerson, who provides narration and the voices of multiple characters. The music is invariably catchy, the words wonderfully whimsical. Meanwhile, Kevin Michael Wesson makes Leonardo a particularly endearing puppet. And our two human protagonists inspire sympathy when the fear-filled faces of Karly Gesine Bergmann and Leah Casey occupy most of the screen.
Under the detail-driven direction of co-adaptor Sarah Fornace, “Leonardo!” hits the mark marvelously if you’re seeking the ideal theatrical outing for a child under 8 and a parent or grandparent. All should exit smiling.
Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.
Lily Emerson, Karly Gesine Bergmann, Kevin Michael Wesson and Leah Casey in the Minnesota premiere of “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster,” created by Manual Cinema, which will run from Jan. 8 – March 9, 2025 at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. (Glen Stubbe / Children’s Theatre Company)
Manual Cinema’s ‘Leonardo!’
When: Through March 9
Where: Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.
Tickets: $68-$20, available at 612-874-0400 or childrenstheatre.org
Capsule: An imaginative, warm and very fun adult-child bonding opportunity.
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