It’s been a big week for L.A.’s Bob Baker Marionette Theater — it made its Coachella debut and entered an agreement to purchase the Highland Park theater it has been renting since 2019.
Last Friday afternoon, hundreds of people packed into Coachella’s red-walled Gobi Tent tent to watch the show. Puppeteers, dressed in the classic Bob Baker red from head to toe, brought out some of the company’s beloved icons — including the show’s host, Pink Cat, adorned in sequins and jewelry. “Puppet-chella … meeeeooowww!” boomed the puppet as she took the stage.
The 40-minute set was a departure from Bob Baker’s typical, more intimate shows. According to Winona Bechtle, the theater’s director of partnerships, it featured more puppets on a single stage than they’ve ever had before. Pink poodles with long black eyelashes danced in a can-can line, a quartet of googly-eyed cacti bobbed along to the music and a trio of small white dogs galloped on the stage.
But what stole the show was a performance of Ben Platt’s cover of Addison Rae’s hit song “Diet Pepsi.” A Hansel-like puppet dressed in a frock made of leaves danced along to the song while fairy-like puppets made of brightly colored flowers swayed in circles around him. The Bob Baker Marionettes knew their audience very well — the crowd shrieked along to the chorus. After all, does it get any more L.A. niche than a Bob Baker x Ben Platt x Addison Rae Coachella crossover?
The Bob Baker Marionettes will be back on stage at Coachella on Friday, April 17, from 2:55 to 3:35 p.m. in the Gobi Tent. You can catch the recorded performance on Coachella’s YouTube channel at 4 p.m. Friday.
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