Lilypad Puppet Theatre produces an annual Crankie Cabaret in the Fall. We bring together artists, puppeteers, storytellers & musicians for this fabulous weekend variety show. For 18+.
Crankie Cabaret 2025 is at The Cherry (102 Cherry Street, Ithaca) on:
Fri Nov 14, 7:30pm, Sat Nov 15, 7:30pm & Sun Nov 16, 3pm 2025
Hear ye, hear ye! You are invited!
This year, you are invited to the Court of His Majesty to view the Royal Entertainments of the day. Will His Highness be amused or will this day end in disaster as many fear? Come see for yourself!
Live music, fabulous art, and absurd theatrics from Lilypad Puppet Theatre. This show is intended for an adult audience of 18+, with stories, puppets, music and more!
TICKETS HERE! (18+)
*We can hold your seat until 10 min after the show has begun, after that we may give your seat to someone on the waiting list. The doors will open half hour before the show with a fun bar!
**Can’t get tickets for the date you want? Join our waiting list by emailing lilypadpt@gmail.com with: Email or phone that we can reach you to tell you that you’ve got tickets!, Date you prefer, Number of Tickets, Name.
***Buy your ticket as a Supporter*** and get a chance to win a free one night stay at the fabulous Argos Inn! Argos Inn is a beautifully restored, LEED certified, historic mansion in downtown Ithaca. It houses thirteen boutique hotel rooms and two unique craft cocktails bars. (Note: The one night stay is for Sunday – Thursday nights only.) Valued at $200+ The Argos Inn offers a touch of the exotic, that magical feeling of being in a far off place with all the comforts of home.
“A delightful, interesting, entertaining and life affirming performance. Loved every minute of it.” – Hilby the German Juggling Boy on the Crankie Cabaret.
2025 PERFORMERS (FOR BIOS CLICK HERE):
A Very Feral Christmas by Julie Glanville
When the Christmas Spirit comes knocking … open the door and let it in. Even if it’s not quite what you expected.
Heaven on Earth by izaq charp and Marina Gershon.
The world, oh the world, is all going to hell.
The news is quite rotten and so is the smell.
In the streets, in the air, it stinks like dead rat.
It reeks like a barrel of old bacon fat.
But as bad as it seems, this malodorous haze,
for some that foul funk smells like five-star buffets.
So let us attempt, let’s just give it a try,
to see this vile world through the eyes of a fly…
Mall of Death by Mike Chen
What happens when the Dark Lord of Darkmood Castle is driven from his home by selfie-taking tourists? He moves into the local half-empty mall and falls in love, what else?
Unrequited Love: A Vietnamese Folk Tale by Anne Miller
A young girl is sick, when she hears the beautiful singing of a fisherman on the river outside her window. Anne Miller heard this story from her favorite English teacher, Philip Bailey. It inspired her; she has worked on it here and there until now.
The Knight and the Dragon by Julian Plum & Maddox Ziomek
A knight and a dragon, locked in endless battle, must decide if there’s more to life than Tradition, Glory, and Honor.
Vibing Heavy by SingTrece & Sir Kenneth McLaurin
“Vibing Heavy” is a visual love poem, a journey from self-discovery to a shared life. It tells the story of two souls who find each other through laughter and honesty and learning that love doesn’t complete them. It frees them. Together, they discover peace, joy, and the beauty of simply being seen, known, and loved.
Sober and Boozy Bar to benefit Lilypad by Melissa of Open Spaces
You can get a fancy drink at the show: POP UP BARS with Open Spaces. (They donate the proceeds to the puppet theatre – amazing!) Each event bar offers a curated selection of by-the-glass ciders and wines, and a custom cocktail with a boozy and sober option. Open Spaces loves community events! They’ll pop up for music, food pairing events, gallery openings, fundraisers, community gatherings, weddings, and parties.
Featuring farmed and foraged fruit sober drinks and well produced booze from small Finger Lakes cideries and wineries. Focusing on Eve’s Cidery, Redbyrd Cider, Usonia Wine and adding a few collaborators as they go.
This program is made possible in part with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and NYS Legislature, administered by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.
PAST SHOWS: See what we’ve been up to in the last few years.
What is a crankie? “A crankie is an old storytelling art form. It’s a long illustrated scroll that is wound onto two spools. The spools are loaded into a box which has a viewing screen. The scroll is hand-cranked while the story is told. It can be accompanied by a narrative, song or tune.”
