Showtimes & Tickets
$18 all-ages general admission / $14.50 members
$16 Early Bird tickets / $12.50 members; until 11:59 pm the Monday before the show. Discount will automatically appear in your shopping cart after tickets are added.
$3 Card to Culture (WIC, EBT, MassHealth, ConnectorCare) Learn more →
Members receive discount tickets, priority seating, and more! Become a Member →
Choose a showtime to purchase tickets. You will be redirected to our ticketing service website to complete your purchase. Review our ticket policies here.
About the Show
Join mischievous Monkey King in saving a village from a hungry river monster! Monk Tang and his three disciples — the mischievous Monkey King, the pig Ju Ba-jie, and Sha Wu-jing — are stopped mid-journey by a raging river. The situation is serious, but Monkey and Ju Ba-jie are acting like clowns! Will they — and their martial arts skills — be able to save the day?!
Beautiful Bu Dai Xi puppets, live music performed on erhu, flute, and percussion, and expressive silk scarves bring to life this episode of the classic Chinese adventure story Journey to the West. Puppeteers Madeleine Beresford and Margaret Moody studied traditional Bu Dai Xi puppetry in Taiwan under master puppeteer Lee Tien-Lu, and created The Ice River in collaboration with the Jimmy Zhao Chinese Music Ensemble, who provide energetic scoring inspired by traditional pieces.
Meet the Puppets
Stay after the show to meet the artists and see the puppets up close — the artists speak English and Mandarin!
Recommended for all ages, especially enjoyed by ages 5 - 10
Bu Dai Xi hand puppetry and live music
Length: 45 minutes
Language: English,
From Greater Boston & New Jersey!
About the Artists
Through his role as a performer and teacher, Jimmy Zhao spreads understanding of the creativity of Chinese folk music. He began his study of folk music as a child in China, and began performing as a teenager. Jimmy has taught countless adults and children to play Chinese folk instruments and has led or collaborated in performances hosted by Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and Chinese Culture Connection, among others. In 2024, Jimmy received a “Creative Individuals” grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Madeleine Beresford founded Galapagos Puppets In 1987, with fellow Oberlin-grad Margaret Moody. They studied Bu Dai Xi hand puppetry in Taiwan under the late puppeteer Lee Tien-Lu, a “national living treasure.” Madeleine and Margaret use lively Bu Dai Xi movements in episodes of Journey to the West, and have also adapted the style to original puppet shows for younger children. Madeleine also performs in various styles including life-size and rod puppetry, and has received Henson and Puffin Foundation grants supporting shows about her family’s experiences in the Holocaust.
The creation of this show was supported by a grant from the Malden Cultural Cultural, an agency of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
