La MaMa Kids: The Great Zodiac Animal Race (2025 Year of the Snake Version)
Conceived and Performed by Tom Lee
This charming shadow puppet show by Tom Lee retells the classic Lunar New Year zodiac tale with animals inspired by Asian languages and pictograms.
Growing up in Hawai'i, Tom Lee's memories of Lunar New Year* included narcissus blooms, tasty dim sum dishes and bowing to your elders before running off to your room to open your lucky red envelope with money in it! This charming shadow puppet show retells the classic Lunar New Year zodiac tale with animals inspired by Asian languages and pictograms. Suitable for all ages. Originally commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago.
Note: The Lunar New Year, based on a lunisolar calendar in China and other Asian countries, typically occurs in January or February on the first day of the first lunar month. This year, the Lunar New Year was celebrated on 10 February 2024 (Year of the Dragon) and next year, it will be celebrated on 29 January 2025 (Year of the Snake)
Conceived and Performed by Tom Lee
with special guest Leah Ogawa
Music by Tatsu Aoki, Jamie Kempkers and Rami Atassi
Puppets designed by Chicago Puppet Studio: Jaerin Son, KT Shivak, Mark Blashford & Sophia Tarducci
Tom Lee is a puppet artist, designer and director. He began his career at La MaMa in New York. He is a student of Japanese master puppeteer Koryū Nishikawa V with whom he created Shank’s Mare (2015) and Akutagawa (2023). In addition to his original work for puppet theatre, his performances include War Horse (Broadway), Florencia en el Amazonas & Madama Butterfly (Metropolitan Opera) and The Queen of Spades (Lyric Opera Chicago). He is co-director of the Chicago Puppet Studio and Chicago Puppet Lab.
La MaMa Kids
La MaMa Kids Online presents kids performances and hands-on workshops online, timed especially for “after school” viewing! La MaMa will continue to use emerging technologies to create a new venue for artistic expression that questions how art can function and how we as a society can survive challenging periods of history.