The larger-than-life Hudson Vagabond Puppets bring the fanciful "Under the Sea with Silly Jellyfish" to life on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The production is aimed at children in grades K through 5.

Based on an old Japanese folk tale, the show centers on the adventures of a well-meaning young jellyfish sent by the dragon king to meet up with a sea turtle, manta rays, an octopus and other denizens of the deep. Along the way the stalwart little sea creature learns important lessons about determination and reaching goals.

What's also likely to stick with children is the spectacle and scope of the undersea world as imagined by company founder Lois Bohovesky, composer Mike Minard, writer Laurie Keane and choreographer Edward Winslow. Based in Blauvelt, N.Y., the 30-year-old company uses a form of puppetry based on Japanese Bunraku style, which employs both puppets inhabited by professional dancers and huge models manipulated by black-costumed actors who become shadows of the characters they bring to life. The cast of "Silly Jellyfish" features nine-foot-tall dragons, octopi with arms of dryer ventilation hose and an eye-popping 40-foot-long whale.

Hudson Vagabond Puppets specializes in children's programs and narrated ballet. The company tours nationally throughout the year and has performed at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, The California Institute of Technology, the Brooklyn College Performing Arts Center and the Luther Burbank Center.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children. Birthday party packages are available for these performances. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit the website, www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 01-09-2004 10:01 AM

Volume: 36 Number: 152