La Boîte à Joujoux. Photo courtesy of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre
«On Saturday, November 8, the acclaimed Salzburg Marionette Theatre will return to the stage of the Met's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium for a stunning production of Debussy's La Boîte à Joujoux (The Toy Box). A chamber ballet performed entirely by puppets, this beautifully reimagined work will be accompanied by pianist Orion Weiss—a soloist whom the Los Angeles Times called "a pianist to watch"—who will perform Debussy's score live, alongside the four puppeteers.»
Salzburg Marionette Theatre's productions are always innovative (last year they performed an abridged version of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, as well as Alice in Wonderland) and magical. The skill of the puppeteers is mesmerizing, and each production features marionettes with expressive facial details and meticulously made costumes, brought to life amidst spectacular scenery.
Salzburg Marionette Theatre's Alice in Wonderland. Photo by Stephanie Berger
The behind-the-scenes process of the Marionettes is exciting to observe: the puppets are carefully unpacked, a large structure (which supports the small proscenium stage on which the puppets perform) is constructed in record time—almost like watching a time-lapse video—and the scenery is put into place. What you see from the audience is only the tip of the iceberg, as a complex network of platforms, ladders, and piping supporting the puppeteers extends well beyond the (mini) curtain.
The marionettes backstage. Photo courtesy of Met Museum Presents
Alice and Wonderland scenery backstage. Photo courtesy of Met Museum Presents
Salzburg Marionette Theatre celebrates over a century of productions and has toured extensively, bringing their interpretations of opera and theater around the globe. As one of the last remaining full-time professional marionette theatres in Europe, the Salzburg troupe holds true to the history of their city, which was traditionally a port of call for traveling puppet theatres, and in the early 1900s it was the only theatrical performances permitted by the church.
Performer and marionette on stage during the Ring Cycle. Photo by Stephanie Berger
This season, they continue their tradition of performances at the Met with this intimate program. The three performances will include a full-length evening concert at 7:00 p.m., which begins with Weiss playing Schumann's Papillons; Blumenstück (Flower Piece) in D-flat, Op. 19; and Novellette, Op. 21, No. 8 in F sharp minor; followed by The Toy Box. Afternoon performances at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. are abridged—so be sure to bring the whole family along!
Tickets start at $30 for the abridged performances (1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.) and $45 for the full-length performance (7:00 p.m.). To purchase tickets to any Met Museum Presents event, visit www.metmuseum.org/tickets; call 212-570-3949; or stop by the Great Hall Box Office, open Monday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.