If you have small children, you might already be aware of Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre, and the wonderful shows they put on at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts each year. However, you might not be aware that due to the current run of “Menopause, the Musical”, Tears of Joy has had to move some of their performances this year from the Winningstad Theater to the Newmark Theater at PCPA.

The Newmark is significantly larger than the more intimate setting in the Winningstad, and as a result, this season’s shows are running for a single weekend, not two. So, if you are in the habit of waiting to see the reviews, or waiting for word of mouth from your friends before you get your tickets, you are likely to miss the show entirely.

This year’s season opens with a production of ‘Aladdin & His Magic Lamp’. The show has a cast of 16 puppet characters including an evil sorcerer, a beautiful princess, a silly sultan and a spectacular, 14-foot genie. ‘Aladdin’ also represents an opportunity to expose children to aspects of the culture and heritage of the Middle East that are very different from the ones being depicted on the television every night. You can see ‘Aladdin& His Magic Lamp’ at the following performances:

Friday, Oct 27 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, Oct 28 at 11:00 am
Sunday, Oct 29 at 2 and 4 pm
(all at the Newmark Theatre, Portland)

Saturday, Nov 18 at 11:00 am
(at the Royal Durst Theatre, Vancouver)

For more information, call 503-248-0557 or 360-695-0477, or visit www.tojt.com. Tickets are also available via Ticketmaster.

Related posts:

1. Mark Kozelek @ Aladdin Theatre Tonight
2. Aladdin Coat Drive
3. That Time of the Month
4. “The house began to pitch…” **
5. Puppets for Young and Old(er)