This summer, join the award-winning Rainbow Puppets as they share “Terrific Tales.” Through original music and colorful puppets, they present relevant re-tellings of some of the most recognizable tales of all times.

By not talking to strangers, Red Riding Hood makes her way safely to Grandma’s house. Hansel and Gretel are not so lucky. When their father heads off to work, they ignore his instructions and end up lost in forest. Fortunately, they are able to outsmart the woman at the candy house and are reunited with their father. Finally, Goldilocks benefits from the generosity of Three Bears.

Between tales, there are interactive songs and dancing which are a trademark of Rainbow Puppet presentations.

 The late, great movie legend Mickey Rooney provides narration for the show. Over the years, he recorded many shows with the Rainbow Puppets including “Toyland!” and “Pirate Party.” Other voices include Rainbow regulars Chris Bartlett and Granny, Deborah Carlos as Red Riding Hood, and James Cooper as the Announcer. Steve Scheffler engineered and produced the performances 

Available starting in June of 2020.

Open your eyes to all of the wonders hidden in the wetlands of Virginia as Rainbow Puppet Productions presents “The Wondrous Wetland Review.” Over fifty puppets and a rich musical score bring the tidal saltmarsh to life. This tour is presented by grants from the Virginia Arts Commission and York County.

Wide-Eyed Wanda, a barred owl who lives in the saltmarsh takes Seemore the Seagull on a fun and educational tour of this often overlooked natural resource. Along the way they encounter Bert, the Blue Heron who sings a big-band swing tune, “If You Wanna Dance Around.” Like Great Garbo before her, Alana the Great White Egret sings, “I Just Wanna Be Alone.” The audience joins in on a singing, hand-clapping hoe down led by Farley, the Fiddler Crab.

Other highlights include the Sunset Symphony where lightning bugs fill the sky with a twinkling cascade of lights. Later, there’s a “Scary Creature Feature” tale of the mummichog, an amazing little fish that buries itself in the sand as the tide goes out, only to miraculously reappear when the tide returns.

Thanks to grant funding, we can offer special pricing on this show from March through June of 2020.

For the third year in a row, we are happy to tour with a new version of "Open a Book."  Meet Mother Goose and friends, Mary Peake teaches reading to formerly enslaved Virginians, Abraham Lincoln reads the Emancipation Proclamation.  "Red Riding Hood" shows the fun of reading.  We visit Africa where a giraffe, an elephant, and a mouse join forces to overcome odds and prove that there is power in diversity.

Students receive a book at the end of the performance courtesy of Optima Health.  Best of all, their generous grant makes this show available at no cost to a select number of schools and students across the state. 

So far, we have presented over 200 performances and provided over 50,000 books!

Find out if your school qualifies!

If it's a classic story or a children's show, the Rainbow Puppets have it.   Victor Herbert's "Toyland!"  and Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf."  Mother Goose shares rhymes and stories like "The Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood."   And if you like Pirates and Mermaids... we have them, too.

The Rainbow Puppets are experts at taking the complicated and making it super-easy to understand.  Our puppets help explain the complexity of the Amazon Rain Forest, the rise and fall of the Dinosaurs, the wonder of the Wright Brothers' first flight, the excitement of space travel and the delicacy of the Chesapeake Bay.

From the beginning, the Rainbow Puppet company has stressed the value and importance of every creature on the planet.  Every person... every creature is unique and special.  Our anti bullying program "Speak Out - The Search for Gold" has become the go-to resource for many schools.  Then there are our classic tellings of the Noah and Jonah stories.

Follow in the footsteps of historic figures through our interactive shows.  Meet Abraham Lincoln, the Tuskegee Airmen, Patrick Henry, Pocahontas, and so many others.

Hear songs from the Rainbow Puppets, including David Messick's original compositions for the company.  See our shows.  And maybe download an album or get our latest cd.

Take a look at our 40 years of children's programs.  Then we hope you'll invite us to be a part of your next event.