After coming close to closing permanently just a few years ago, the historic Bob Baker Marionette Theater is about to have its biggest year yet—a remarkable turnaround for the 63-year-old puppet institution.
In April, the theater will perform at Coachella during the same week as its 12th annual Bob Baker Day festival. And in May, it will premiere Choo Choo Revue, their first fully original show in over 40 years.
"This is the first time that we have the resources, the support of the community," said co-executive director and artistic director Alex Evans. "We had an incredible fundraising campaign at the end of last year, so we have truly just hit this milestone of being able to do it."
The milestone is particularly significant considering where the theater stood in 2020. Just four months after opening their new Highland Park location—after losing their original theater in Westlake/Echo Park—the pandemic forced them to shut down. They pivoted to socially distant shows and online performances, but it wasn't enough.
So they made a public plea for $365,000 to stay open for a year. The community responded, raising the funds in less than a month.
"That led to a lightbulb moment," explained the theater's leadership. "This isn't just about scraping by and trying to keep this alive. This is about building something for the future of the city because the community wants it."
The year kicked off with the premiere of Hooray LA!, a celebration of Los Angeles first performed in 1981 by founder Bob Baker, who passed away at 90 in 2014. The 2026 version includes new additions celebrating LA's diversity, including Mexican hat dancers, a marimba player, and a mariachi band with costumes modeled on the local LGBTQ+ mariachi band, Mariachi Arcoiris.
"All the big things happening for the theater this year—that's thanks to the support of the community here in LA and reflective of their desire for us to thrive and survive."