Founded back in 1963, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater is the oldest establishment in Los Angeles offering theater-type entertainment for children. It has put on shows pretty steadily since then and hosted thousands upon thousands of kids' birthday parties. In some families, there are several generations who happily recall birthday parties when they were younger at the B.B.M.T.
The last few decades, it's had trouble keeping the doors open. In 2008, I wrote here and in later posts about the financial problems it was having. The place managed to stay open but things got a lot worse in 2014 when Mr. Baker passed away at the age of 90. His family and students kept things afloat but despite their building being designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, they finally had to vacate it.
Happily, support was such that they've relocated. They moved their workshop, stage and inventory of three thousand puppets into an old theater in Highland Park and while they're still in need of funds, it doesn't look like all those stringed people and creatures will be out on the street any time soon. Since I covered its struggles to stay in the old building, I thought you'd like to know they have a new one.
Here we have a little Christmasy video that the current management has assembled to entertain, tell the history of the enterprise and ask for donations. If you're in Southern California and have kids who have birthdays, take the hint. And visit their website, which contains a lot more history.