Master of Puppets

Personally, we find puppets off-putting and a little creepy, and that’s why the Phillip Huber Marionettes were the perfect fit for Spike Jonze’s fantastical film Being John Malkovich. Given our revulsion toward things with strings, it probably sounds like a backhanded compliment to say that Huber is the world’s primo puppeteer, but if you don’t believe us, ask a puppeteer. We asked Lisa A. Haslbauer of Great Arizona Puppet Theatre, where Huber and company will be performing. "Philip [has] a flair and precision I have never seen from anyone else," she says. “Aside from his technical prowess, his shows are just darned entertaining and a lot of fun.” The Huber road show includes tightrope walkers, contortionists, blues singers, and a pup named Taffy.
Sat., April 19, 7 p.m., 2008