Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Soars in NYC

It’s never easy to successfully adapt a popular book for stage or film (the expectations!), nor to keep a theater full of toddlers and preschoolers engaged and seated for an hour. Yet, the latest stage adaptation of Eric Carle’s beloved The Very Hungry Caterpillar, playing in NYC this winter, does all that and more.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, now at the Duke through Sunday, January 5, 2025, retells four iconic Carle tales with 75 handcrafted large-scale puppets, three actors who double as puppeteers and narrators and subtle but lyrical music that readies the audience for the animal magic about to appear on stage. It’s earnest, colorful, artsy and will hold your kid in awe for 60+ solid minutes.

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This sweet production, which first opened in Australia and has made multiple stops in NYC, begins with a stage empty except for the four books children will be watching come to life—The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, Dream Snow, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (in that order)—​and a taped welcome from Carle himself, the original storyteller and illustrator.

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It’s hard to resist a photo-op of the iconic book brought to life on stage.

With minimal narration, the production is a visual feast that relies on the bright colors and personalities of Carle’s characters to take center stage. Colorful fluttering scarves, neon-hued puppets created in the illustrator’s familiar collage-style that prance about, and flashy stage lighting transport the audience to the inner pages of each story.

It’s a quiet, minimalist show, so don’t expect dancing in the aisles or lots of interactive elements, though many kids will call out the answers to rhetorical questions just the same. My 3-year-old gasped at reveals like the shake of the green lion’s mane. Some kids might squirm halfway through, but the eye-catching puppets created by Rockefeller Production’s in-house Rock Shop, some bedecked in glitter and measuring several feet in width, always manage to reel back little eyes and attention spans. And no one minds a little squirming in children’s theater. Little ones especially loved the bubbles that float down from the stage during the Mister Seahorse sequence, which becomes snow when the story transitions to Dream Snow.

Tip: Prep your kids for the show by reading all four of the books, not just The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Though her eyes were glued to the stage, mine occasionally leaned over to ask: “Where’s the cat-a-pilla?”

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Three caterpillar puppets are used to demonstrate the hungry insect’s transformation.

The show’s fourth and final tale about that hungry caterpillar is worth the wait. Three caterpillar puppets are used to show the hungry insect’s transformation as he eats his way across the stage. From the glowing moon and the caterpillar literally popping out of the egg to the devouring of junk food, the metamorphosis is beautifully told right up through the finale, where the butterfly spreads its wings—a 12-foot span—across the stage.

There really aren’t scary parts to this show. I only heard one child cry at the outset when the lights darkened, so even the shyest of tots likely will warm to this show. It’s the perfect pace for the 2- to 6-year-old crowd, though we saw plenty of pacifiers, babes in slings, and post-kindergarten siblings, too.

Set at the intimate Duke Theatre, it’s impossible to find a bad seat. If you’re feeling flush, upgrade to the VIP ticket, which includes an adorable caterpillar backpack containing an Eric Carle-themed stuffed toy, a glittery VIP wristwrap, and the opportunity to “meet” and pose with the caterpillar after the show.

All photos by author. Rose Gordon Sala contributed additional reporting.