Thursday, September 30, 2010

BOO AT THE ZOO!

We're opening our new production - - THE DARK PART - - at the Bronx Zoo on Saturday October 2nd with performances 1:30 & 3:30 every weekend throughout October. The Zoo is going to be packed with seasonal events like a HAUNTED HAYRIDE and HALLOWEEN PARADE led by cast members of Broadway's THE ADDAMS FAMILY. Hope you all can come out and then stop backstage and say hi.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

WELCOME TO THE FLEXIBLOG.

love,
Olga Felgemacher & Craig Marin
and
THE FLEXITOON PUPPETS

Saturday, September 18, 2010

BRONX ZOO PUPPET STAGE

We finally completed construction of the PUPPET/MARIONETTE STAGE, and we're painting it today. Here's the sketch of what it might look like. .

Thursday, September 9, 2010

THE MARX BROTHERS

From that time I slept over at my friend Joey Lawler's house and stayed up and watched "The Coconuts" on the Late Show, I've been in love with the MARX BROTHERS. And for me, "love" always means becoming the artists I adore. I started as HARPO because my friend Paul Rubin (below, who also played Stannie to my Ollie) had the GROUCHO thing down pat (we recruited neighborhood hood Gary Krantz to play CHICO.)
Soon after, I dropped some poundage, discovered sarcasm, and became GROUCHO. My dear hippie pals and I formed THE COCONUTS TRIBE and recreated Marx Madness in the Shacker Family's attic - - I mean -- make-shift theatre. Puppets being my true calling it was only a matter of time before giving birth to THE MARX BROTHERS as puppets.
I built these for THE MARKO PUPPET THEATRE. We recreated THE COCONUTS in miniature and performed it at colleges on the West Coast. It was really fun!!!
That's Holly Smith (above) portraying Mdm. Pheffenusiance in a Marx Brothers Christmas skit.
Now, our dear friend and famous writing personage SANDY KRINSKI (ALICE, DONNY & MARIE and - - yes! - - THE NEW ZOO REVIEW) wrote to tell us that his very good friend BILL MARX (Harpo's very son) has put a website jam packed with ALL THINGS HARPO!!!
When you get the time, take a look. You'll need the time because there is so much to see! Thanks for doing this Bill!!!

Friday, September 3, 2010

JOE'S CRAB SHACK

A couple of weeks ago we were hired to create an "authentic" looking crab puppet for a new commercial for "Joe's Crab Shack." We were told to go right up to that cartoon line, but not to cross it.
This was a very challenging and exciting assignment. By the time we got to the set (on location at a beach house in Westhampton), we had animated it so all eight legs moved, the arms folded and opened, and the claws snapped. We also animated the EYES! The crab had to grab a pair of tongs from the live-action guy, turn the tables and threaten him. All in real time. It took Olga and me to do the precise, coordinated puppetry.
All very surreal, and ably handled by a talented director named Christopher Bean. Here then is PINCHY THE CRAB: