Tanglewood Marionettes' Cinderella Returns to Newton

This weekend, families can start school vacation week in a fun way with the Tanglewood Marionettes’ performance of Cinderella.

“It’s excellent quality, wonderful entertainment for children as well as adults with beautifully made marionettes,” says Jeanie Smith, associate director of the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, which is putting on the event along with Newton Community Pride.

There will be two shows Sunday (10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.) at the Newton Cultural Center. The shows are so popular that a second show had to be added, as pre-order tickets for the 10:30 a.m. performance are already sold out, Smith says.

With marionettes about three-feet tall, a performance by the Tanglewood Marionettes is not your average puppet show, says Smith.

The puppets perform in front of an over-sized storybook with beautifully illustrated pages that turn as the story is told, she says.

While the story of Cinderella follows the plot line of the traditional fairy tale, the puppeteers also make it funny, she says, recalling how the kids laughed when they performed the show in Newton two years ago.

“It’s beautiful, and they make it a bit interactive,” says Smith, adding that the puppeteers bring the marionettes through the audience to show the kids.    

The Tanglewood Marionettes perform in Newton at least once a year, and the shows are so popular that they sell out every time, she says.

While tickets can be pre-ordered for the 1 p.m. show for $8 at www.newtoncommunitypride.org, some tickets will also be sold at the door for $10 at both performances, she says.  For more information, call the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs at 617-527-8283.