City Parks Foundation Announces Two New Puppet Show Performances for 2025 

Photo Courtesy of City Parks Foundation

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre Presents Cinderella Samba

Tickets on Sale Now

CityParks PuppetMobile Presents Pippi Longstocking Show Applications Open Now Through March 10

City Parks Foundation is thrilled to announce two new puppet performances this year at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and with the CityParks PuppetMobile. This year the Cottage presents its original family-friendly production of Cinderella Samba, while the PupperMobile prepares for its new traveling presentation of Pippi Longstocking. 

Cinderella Samba is back at the Cottage in Central Park with an updated performance for 2025. This refreshed, contemporary twist on the classic Cinderella fairy tale is now playing at the Cottage, with tickets available for purchase. Cinderella Samba takes place in the lush landscape of Brazil. Thanks to her fairy godmother, Cinderella attends Rio de Janeiro’s biggest Carnaval gala and dances with Prince Paulo. The lively production features an original commissioned musical soundtrack that brings samba center-stage. This production also features a festive Carnaval float, stunning sets, and one-of-a-kind marionettes donning vibrant celebration costumes. The Marionettes are created and operated by the expert puppeteers of the historic Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. 

“We are so excited to bring Cinderella Samba to the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre after a successful run on our CityParks Puppetmobile last summer,” said Bruce Cannon, Artistic Director of the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. “Since opening this winter at the Cottage, audiences have enjoyed this show, and the samba rhythms and Carnaval sets make t  fun for the whole family.””

Performances will occur Tuesday through Friday at 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM, and Saturday and Sunday at 11 AM and 1PM. Tickets are available at https://wl.seetickets.us/SwedishCottageMarionetteTheatre. For more information about reduced school group rates and performances, please contact swedishcottage@cityparksfoundation.org.

Applications for the 2025 season of the CityParks PuppetMobile are now being accepted.  This season, the PuppetMobile will feature Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking, presented in tandem with the 80th anniversary of the beloved book and in association with the Astrid Lindgren Foundation. In addition to the brilliant artistry of the production, kids and families will enjoy the incredible adventures of quick-witted and super-strong Pippi as she overcomes bullies and burglars, all while fending off social conventions that seek to keep her in check.

In partnership with the New York City Parks Department, the CityParks PuppetMobile— the oldest continually operating company of its kind in the country— presents free outdoor performances in neighborhood parks and recreation centers throughout New York City. This show, adapted for marionettes by award-winning playwright Zakiyyah Alexander,  is presented by arrangement with Nordiska ApS, Copenhagen – www.nordiska.dk, and is supported, in part, by public funds from the Consulate General of Sweden.

The season will run from May 1 through October 31, with applications for May through August performances due by Monday, March 10, 2025. Applications for September and October performances will open in May. For more information on applying, please visit: https://cityparksfoundation.org/puppetmobile-request-form/.

Generous private support for the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre is provided by the Connelly Foundation in memory of Judith Connelly Delouvrier, The Weininger Foundation, and Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation. In partnership with NYC Parks and Historic House Trust.

Generous private support for CityParks PuppetMobile is provided by the Connelly Foundation in memory of Judith Connelly Delouvrier and The Weininger Foundation.

About City Parks Foundation 

At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs — located in more than 400 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City — reach over 285,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.

About the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre 

The enchanting Swedish architecture and craftsmanship of the Swedish Cottage which was suggestive of a model schoolhouse caught the eye of Central Park creator Frederick Law Olmsted, who brought it to Central Park in 1877. A traveling marionette company was founded in 1939 and in 1947 the Swedish Cottage became home to the company. In 1973, a permanent theater was constructed inside the Swedish Cottage, designed for marionette performances. Since then, hundreds of thousands of children and families from around the world have enjoyed its original productions. Under the direction of City Parks Foundation, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and CityParks PuppetMobile continues to thrill audiences from around the world, entertaining more than 20,000 people each year. 

The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre is located in Central Park near the 81st Street and Central Park West entrance, just south of the Delacorte Theater. For more information, maps and walking directions, please visit www.cityparksfoundation.org/arts/swedish-cottage-marionette-theatre.

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