‘Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster’: A Review

Leah Casey and Kevin Michael Wesson in Manual Cinema's 'Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster' at Children's Theatre Company.
Photo by Glen Stubbe.

“Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster” by Manual Cinema is at the Cargill Stage at the Children’s Theatre from now through March 9. This charming multimedia puppet show gives audiences a behind-the-scenes experience and runs for 45 minutes without an intermission. “Leonardo!” is based on several picture books (“Leonardo,” “The Terrible Monster and Sam” and “The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World”) by children’s author Mo Willems.

For those unfamiliar with Mo Willems, this series of picture books focuses on a “terrible monster” named Leonardo. Leonardo is not terrible in the sense that he is terrifying, rather he is terrible at being terrifying. After trying and failing to scare “The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World,” Leonardo decides that maybe being a wonderful friend is better than being a terrible monster.

“Leonardo!” is billed as “best enjoyed by younger audiences,” so I brought my youngest niece, who clocks in at about three and a half years old. I was thrilled to have an excuse to bring the littlest of littles to a play. The build-up to seeing the play was a little intense — she got very in her head about monsters (to the point that I zipped our coats together and was 100% ready to leave the theater if the monsters were too scary) — but aside from needing to wear a pair of noise-canceling headphones (did you know that CTC has these available for any kid who needs them?! thank you CTC!!), she emerged from the play unscathed and very proud of herself for facing her fears.

“Leonardo!” is a visual treat. Manual Cinema has created an innovative, immersive way to experience a children’s book using a combination of actors, puppets and paper cutouts. The familiar images from Mo Willems’ books find new life in the playful hands of Manual Cinema. Their setup centers a large, vertical screen (which evokes an oversized iPad) where the live captured video of puppets and paper cut-outs is projected.

Puppeteers play to a central camera partially obscured behind the faux tablet. Downstage right from the projector sits the narrator, a Ms. Rachel-looking person with a guitar (Lily Emerson — who also skillfully voiced most of the characters). Downstage left is an overhead camera that captures the action of the paper cutouts.

Although I love the concept, ultimately, I would have preferred to not see the metaphorical strings of the metaphorical marionettes in “Leonardo!” Going to the theater to watch the actors obscured by a tablet-shaped screen (was it a metaphor for the way we center our own devices? Are they just trying to meet kids where they’re at?) was just not for me.

Two of the puppeteers doubled as actors. Their colorful costumes were a highlight for me, evoking blocky, hand-drawn images with their simple lines and colors. Their design was delightful, featuring fabric wigs and big, colorful glasses. Leah Casey, who played the Second Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the World, was especially adept at playing to the camera, landing familiar TikTok angles that accentuated her character’s goofiness.

Fun aesthetics aside, I was not sold on using actors instead of puppets for these two roles. I might have felt differently if the actors had used their own voices instead of lip-syncing along with the narrator, but the quality of lip-syncing was, charitably, inconsistent.

I would still recommend the show. It is innovative and playful and only 45 minutes long. The paper cutouts are beautifully crafted, the puppets skillfully manipulated and the enthusiasm the artists have for this project is palpable. The kids in the audience seemed to have a nice time and my niece didn’t have to make a terrified exit, so I’d call this an overall win.

I recommend “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster” for people who like multimedia performances, Mo Willems’ books and bite-sized theater.

You still have a couple of months to see “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster,” but several performances are already low on tickets, so better to buy sooner rather than later. Tickets start at $15. Select performances include preshow adventures or post-show autograph opportunities. There are also sensory-friendly and ASL-interpreted performances. All of this information can be found on the Children’s Theatre website, listed below.

childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/leonardo

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