'Pasta' Musical Satisfies All Ages

Even carb-wary Park Slope parents (and their kids) should rush to feast on the smorgasbord of “Pasta! A Pop Ups Puppet Musical” this Saturday at the Soho Playhouse.
 
The lively kids’ musical showcases the talents of Park Slope-based musicians Jacob Stein and Jason Rabinowitz, aka The Pop Ups. Following last year's release of the duo’s first album, “Outside Voices,” Stein and Rabinowitz devised a musical that combines songs from the album with Muppet-style puppetry, audience interaction, live drawing, dance and high-octane performance, all within a local context.
 
“Pasta” leads its puppet characters on a quest around Brooklyn neighborhoods to source the freshest ingredients for the best tomato sauce, combining a dose of educational narrative with a liberal dash of attention-grabbing antics. At a show earlier this month, kids and parents alike sat entranced throughout the hour-long performance, with the youngest members of the audience stamping feet, clapping hands and calling out responses as encouraged.
 
The show is “perfect” for ages 2 to 9, according to the creators – although there is meant to be something for everyone.
 
“There are lots of moments when the kids in the audience are asked to participate in songs and conversations with the colorful cast of puppets and people on stage,” Stein said. “For the parents, the music plays with references to such diverse sounds as the Eurythmics, Prince, UB40, Pavement, and Otis Redding.”
 
The Pop Ups’ music has already garnered notice, with the album landing on 2010 “Top 10” lists in The Washington Post and Time Out New York Kids, among others, and snagging a National Association of Parenting Publications Award for best music.
 
The show’s more colorful creatures were born in the puppet shops of director Julianna Parr (who also crafted puppets for “The Muppet Show” and “Forgetting Sarah Mashall”) and Ingrid Crepeaux (“Dinosaur Rock”).
 
“Pasta” debuted in July 2010 in Los Angeles, where it returns for a three-week run following the April 23 show in Soho. The Pop Ups hopes to bring the musical back to New York City this summer and then concoct a new show in fall to accompany the band’s soon-to-be-released second album.
 
Recording songs is an “exciting but hidden process,” Stein said. “It’s very satisfying, but at some point, it’s time to get out of the studio.”
 
“Making a big show like ‘Pasta’ allows us to work with a whole new set of creative collaborators, focus on the visual aspects of our ideas, and to bring the music from the studio out into the world,” he said.
 
Curtain rises on “Pasta! A Pop Ups Puppet Musical” at 11 a.m. this Saturday, April 23 at the Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street. Tickets cost $25 and can be found here.