Get us in your inbox
🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
The Bob Baker Marionette Theater puppeteer shares his favorite neighborhood finds and nostalgic throwbacks
Photograph: Michael Juliano
Red velvety curtains, sorbet-colored murals, ice cream parties: Alex Evans is ensuring that the familiar touches from the beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater make the jump to the new space on York Boulevard in Highland Park. His first brush with the theater was in 2007. “It blew me away,” says Evans. “It opened this door for imagination.” He started interning that year and soon began working full time with the late Bob Baker himself. Now, as the executive director and head puppeteer of the company, Evans is making puppets cool: He’s trotting out the marionettes for preview events at the relocated venue (with a grand opening expected in November), plus hosting a free Petite Theater pop-up at Oxy Arts (every Tue through Aug 3). We met up with Evans—and a marionette dog named Happy—to talk neighborhood finds and nostalgic throwbacks.
Photograph: Michael Juliano
“John Ennis opened this small theater, and every Monday night it does music. It’s, like, all of these musical instruments from the 18th century that are only played in Hungary, and it has these amazing artists come out.”
The YARD Theater, East Hollywood. Mon at 8pm; $10–$20.
“It’s the most fascinating place I’ve ever been inside of. It’s the art studio of Clare Graham, who worked for Disney and designed their parades, but now runs this personal gallery. It’s all chandeliers made of buttons, puzzle pieces and human teeth—it’s a space that should feel messy and strange and scary, but it just feels wonderful.”
Highland Park
“I’ll be 88 by the time we’re done going through all the records that Bob Baker amassed. But I did actually smuggle some records into Bob’s library. This small place is where I once got a Sesame Street record. It has a good kids’ music section—like old ’70s kids’ music.”
Hollywood
“Home of the mighty Wurlitzer, it’s this organ hall where they show silent films and hook up a black light, and you watch all of this music and sound as it comes to life in this magical room. It’s connected with the Los Angeles Theatre Organ Society, which is actually leasing us an organ for the new space.”
El Segundo
“You can’t help but feel like a kid when you can’t walk very well. That’s just fun. The rink has an organ night every Tuesday. It’s a Bob Baker–staff-favorite place to go.”
Glendale
“Masa redid its menu and got rid of a burger that I like, but I can walk in there and say, ‘Give me the usual,’ and they’ll still make it. I hope to eat there forever and ever.”
Echo Park
Discover Time Out original video
