The Grocer's Goblin and The Little Mermaid at The Rose Children's Theater

Have you heard about the new show at The Rose? My family and I had the opportunity to see "The Grocer's Goblin and The Little Mermaid" last weekend. I can't urge you enough to get to the show and see it before it is gone. You can catch shows this weekend and next weekend. I've never seen such a unique production. It is full of shadow puppetry and it is beautiful. 

The Grocer's Goblin Puppet 

The Rose has melded two stories into one show. There is lots of puppetry action that occurs, but the majority is in the shadow puppets. One caution I noted was the suggested ages for this show is 7 and up. This is due to the extreme darkness of the theatre during the shadow puppetry. Even the stars twinkling in the sky inside the theatre are turned off to make the shadows more distinct. If you have a younger child that would not be afraid of the dark, he or she would most likely enjoy the show as well. I will also remind parents that this isn't the Disney version of Mermaid--it's and adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen which means The Rose has made it child friendly, but the ending is not what you've seen on the big screen. 

My entire family loved the show. I've included some pictures from the show, but photos can't describe the beauty of the puppetry. 

From The Rose:
The Grocer’s Goblin and The Little Mermaid features the talents of Omaha Theater Company members Brian Guehring and Stephanie Jacobson. Guehring wrote
the script for the show, weaving together two classic Hans Christian Andersen tales into a story of loving, longing and growing up. Jacobson directs the show and shaped the direction of the production, with a strong focus on puppetry.

The result is a spectacular production unlike anything ever seen in the Omaha area. “This is a one-of-a-kind show unlike anything that has ever really been seen in
Omaha,” says Rose Managing Director Julie Walker. “You will want to see this show just because it is so different and so unique, and I don’t know when families will have the opportunity to see anything like this again. It is truly special.” 

I don't want to give any spoilers for the show. I do want to give you an area to watch for. Pay attention to the Goblin. He is a puppet with such lifelike movements. He is actually operated by the two people 'guiding' him. The thing to notice is how he walks. It's an ingenious use of puppetry. I truly hope the people of the Omaha area will pack the house to see this unique show. 

Enjoy!