A Hungry Caterpillar and a Horrible Day

There’s a youth movement in Queens. On Sunday, the Queens Theatre will host two performances of Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Based on the popular children’s book of the same name, this musical gets the audience laughing and singing along with the main character who gets up on the wrong side of bed…literally.

He wakes up with gum in his hair then proceeds to trip on his skateboard and drop his sweater in the sink. Then things really go downhill. Details on the other great children’s event and another image are on the jump page.

Only a few blocks away, master puppeteers from the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia will be in town to present The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Based on a beloved children’s book by Eric Carle, the protagonist turns into a butterfly after eating a remarkable variety of food.

This tale will be accompanied by two other stories by Carle: Little Cloud, whose star changes shapes while in the sky; and Mixed-Up Chameleon, whose main character attempts to emulate the animals he sees on a trip to the zoo. Before the plays, the troupe will lead an interactive workshop during which they will display various puppets, discuss how they are constructed, demonstrate their manipulation methods, and then let the audience perform.

Bad Day details: Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, April 12th, 1 pm and 3 pm, $14 with Family Flex Pass option of $100 for 10 tickets.

Puppet details: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, April 12th, 2:15 pm with workshop at 1 pm, workshop is $7/$4 for children, performance is $13/$8 for children.

Top photo: Queens Theatre; bottom photo: Flushing Town Hall