Old MacDonald had a farm…and you know the rest!
Now through September 11th, Old MacDonald’s Farm takes the stage now at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, along with more than a dozen animal puppets and two farmhand-puppeteers! Adapted and directed by the Center’s head puppeteer Amy Sweeney, Old MacDonald’s Farm is the most recent Theater for the Very Young production, designed specifically with the developmental stages of young children in mind. Based on the universally well-known children’s song, the show explores a day in the life of a farm.
My son and I had a chance to enjoy the show this past week and I have to say, Old MacDonald’s Farm was so much fun! What do you do when there’s lots of work to be done and the famous farmer is nowhere to be found? Well, you join the multi-talented Amy and Seth in an interactive journey down the to-do list, left behind by Old MacDonald himself.
The show is listed as ideal for ages 2 and up, but I spotted some babies who were still able to really enjoy the music and animal puppets. My 5 years old was a little older in the crowd, but he enjoyed himself as well. He loved the interactive 4D type aspects of the show. It would definitely be a hit with the preschool crowd.
The performers really get down into the audience and, if it’s not too frightening for your little one, I would recommend sitting in the first two rows. Members of the Center for Puppetry Arts get prime seating, as long as you arrive 15 minutes before the start of the show. A membership would be worth the price because it ensures that the characters in the show will interact with your child. If you can’t get seating in the first rows, try to sit on in the outside seats near the steps because the performers will travel up and down those steps throughout the show.
Lots of singing, dancing, music, learning about animals and plants, and some surprises made this show an enjoyable 
experience. As always, one of my favorite parts of any show at the Center for Puppetry Arts is at the end when they explain to the audience exactly how each puppet works. And do not miss the Puppet Making workshop! On our visit, my son and I worked together to make a couple of rather realistic-looking chickens so that we could continue the puppet fun at home. Old MacDonald’s Farm was a great show that all ages could participate in and enjoy!
Regular show times are as follows:
- Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
- Saturday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- Sunday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Tickets are available for $10.25 (Members) and $20.50 (Nonmembers) and include admission to the show, the Worlds of Puppetry Museum (with the largest collection of Jim Henson puppets and artifacts in the world as well as a Global Collection), and entrance to the Create-A-Puppet Workshop™, where guests can make and decorate their own Cheerful Chicken rod puppet and perform with it on our classroom stage. Tickets can be purchased online at www.puppet.org or by calling the ticket sales office at 404.873.3391.
Old MacDonald’s Farm runs through September 11 and stay tuned for some more not-to-be-missed shows at the Center for Puppetry Arts, including The Jungle Book and Pete the Cat!
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