Jack, a young

boy who lives on a struggling farm with his mother, trades the family's

cow for magic beans instead of money.

The beans,

which really are magic, grow overnight into a large bean stalk and lead

Jack to a giant's castle. The familiar story of "Jack and the Bean

Stalk" has been updated by Lee Bryan, otherwise known as "that

puppet guy," and made into a mini-musical titled "The Giant,

The Bean Stalk and Jack!"

The show features

live vocal characterizations and a script written partially in verse by

Bryan and Lesley Potts, while the music was written by Barry Nicora. Songs

featured in the show include "For Now I'll Just Be Me," "Up

the Bean Stalk," and "It's a Giant's Life for Me."

Bryan presents

over 200 performances annually across the country and is on several regional

touring artist rosters. He was recently honored with an Emmy nomination

for his work with Georgia Public Broadcasting's critically acclaimed Spanish

language series, "Salsa." Bryan constructed the puppets for

"The Giant, The Bean Stalk and Jack" with Jane Catherine Shaw.

Show times

for "The Giant, The Bean Stalk and Jack" are Tuesday through

Friday at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; Saturday at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.;

and Sunday at noon and 2 p.m. The show will be presented through Sept.

16 in the Downstairs Theatre of The Center for the Puppetry Arts. In addition

to the performances there will be a Create A Puppet workshop where children

ages 5 and up can create a Jolly Giant shadow puppet.

Admission to

the show is $10 and also includes admission to the workshop and to the

museum. Exhibits in the museum include "Puppets: The Power of Wonder,"

"Masks," "Posters International" and "Velo Theatre,"

a French street treat.

Advance tickets

are recommended for all center activities. Call 404-873-3391. The Center

for Puppetry Arts is at 1404 Spring St. in midtown Atlanta and is accessible

from MARTA.

Back

to the Top of the Page