During our first season of shows the Orlando Sentinel’s Florida Magazine chose Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater as, “The best entertainment spot for children of all ages”.

“Congratulations on being chosen Best Children’s Theater. TV makes it so easy to be entertained, but nothing replaces “being there” and the thrill of it all.” - Joan Schmitt, Orlando, FL

“Wonderful! Awesome!” - Heidi Lemke, Ocala, FL

“We love this place!” - Brian & Lilian David, Orlando, FL

“Thanks to all of you for making our home school group so welcome at your theater. The performance was absolutely wonderful. Your performances are truly a lost art come alive.” - Lynette Bryant, Sacred Heart of Jesus Home Education

“Very funny show!” - Sean Still, Winter Park, FL

“It’s amazing - twenty toddlers sitting spellbound the entire time.” - Erena Chaples, Leesburg, FL

“Your theater is just the perfect place to have a great party.” - Grace Anderson, Maitland, FL

“Always a great pleasure!!” - The Walkers, Orlando, FL

“What a fun time!” - Lisa Dirolamo, Orlando, FL

“Very very impressive!” - Nicky Amrhein, Oviedo, FL

“Thank you for organizing Carlos’ Birthday Party. It was so nice of you to go the extra mile.” - Annebelle Conroy, Carlos, Isabelle and David Houghton

Here are the two press reviews that Pinocchio’s has received from the children’s theater critic at The Orlando Sentinel, Rebecca Swain Vadnie.

Fee-fi-fo-fun!
Fairy-tale twist sprouts laughter (Orlando Sentinel, September 11, 2003)

Written by David Eaton, with song by Eaton and Kent Smith, Jack hits on the right combination of clever songs, kid-friendly jokes and creative staging.

Aimed at the 10-and-younger set, the show reworks the fairy tale to remove the grimmer aspects of the story. In this version, Jack is a spunky kid who must sell Belle, a family cow and his best friend, to help pay for the rent on their humble farm. The greedy landowner Silas Needle persuades Jack to trade her for a handful of magic beans, which sprout a towering beanstalk that appears on stage in a wonderful visual trick. Instead of meeting a fierce, kid-eating giant, Jack meets a lonely, bean-loving giant named Clarence who has a slight - ahem - odor problem.

The marionettes for Jack – created by John Corbitt, Tom Blasco, Helaine Schneider and Jamie Donmoyer with costumes by Elaine Corbitt – reflect an amazing level of artistry and attention to detail.

The production moves briskly enough to keep the kids engaged but not so fast as to lose the narrative, and several surprising stage tricks make this an imaginative and fun show.

Cinderella - Kids will have a ball (Orlando Sentinel, April 8, 2004)

Who ever thought wooden actors could be a good thing? Of course, that is sort of the idea at Pinocchio's Marionette Theater. Its new production of Cinderella is a surprisingly delightful example of theater for children.

It’s too easy sometimes to dismiss a puppet show as not being “real” theater, but the spirit of Pinocchio’s challenges that notion. The stage might be smaller and the living actors hidden from sight, but the heart is very much there.

Skillful puppeteering by John Corbitt, Richard Hudnall and David Eaton animates the classic talk of a poor servant girl who ultimately captures the heart of the handsome prince. Plus, there are beautifully designed marionettes and sets and excellent voice-acting.

This adaptation of the fairy tale – written by David Eaton with music by David Eaton and Kent Smith – finds Cinderella (voiced by Jen Baxley) slaving away in the home of delightfully terrible Madam (performed by Eaton) and her two daughters, Bella and Salina (Nita Laca and Susan Williams). Cinderella wants only to go to the ball and meet handsome Prince Adrian; however, Madam and her daughters conspire to create an impossible list of chores and keep the beautiful girl from the party. Her friends – the comic relief trio of Colonel Mop, Mademoiselle Bucket and Monsieur Mouse (all voiced by Laca) – help as much as they can, but it will take some serious magic from the Fairy Godmother to make this wish come true.

Despite this being a familiar story, Eaton’s script livens things up with clever songs and twists. The tunes help move the story along and explain the action while nicely detailed sets designed by Dale Amlund help make this little world all the more real. Most important, this Cinderella avoids the trap of speaking down to children or over-simplifying the story.

The production captures the element of magic and wonder that is so important to the story. When the Fairy Godmother works her magic to create Cinderella’s dress, the lights dim on stage while glowing buttons and needles with thread float across the stage. It was a simple trick with a black light, but the effect was striking and elicited a chorus of excited “wows!” from the young audience.

There were a few rough opening day glitches, but they were technical details that didn’t mar what is a thoroughly enjoyable show.