One of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater's best-known characters, Demi Star — full name Demitrius Nova Twinklestar III — is stepping into the spotlight this winter as the host of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater's Holiday Wonderland Special, running Nov. 14 through Jan. 17, 2027 on select dates at the theater's Highland Park home. Tickets are priced at $28 and are already available for purchase, with the puppet troupe promising seasonal songs, decorations and festive flourishes for the annual run.
The theater describes the production as a kind of old-fashioned TV holiday special brought to life with strings, according to NBC Los Angeles, featuring puppet fan favorites, carols and winter themes alongside a mix of classic and more unusual characters pulled from the theater's archives. The show has long been a crowd favorite, popular with families and nostalgic theater audiences who return year after year for the mix of music and marionette craft.
Bob Baker Marionettes have entertained Southern Californians for more than 60 years, a run that traces back to founder Bob Baker himself. The Highland Park venue, where the troupe moved in under a decade ago, is its current home after years of upheaval for the organization.
A Tradition Dating Back to 1969
The theater's winter productions are not a recent invention. Its tradition of staging major holiday marionette shows dates back to 1969, when it first premiered Bob Baker's Nutcracker, according to Meer. Bob Baker's Nutcracker is one of the theater's most popular shows and a major winter tradition; this year's Demi Star-hosted special arrives amid a winter-show tradition stretching back more than five decades.
That longevity is backed by an enormous physical archive. The theater maintains a permanent collection of more than 4,000 handcrafted marionettes, per the LA Conservancy. The collection includes classic holiday characters and circus figures alongside original creations designed by Bob Baker and his artisan collaborators.
From Hollywood High to a Theater of His Own
Bob Baker attended Hollywood High School, where he made toy marionettes, later working as head animator for George Pal's Puppetoons stop-motion studio and serving as an animation advisor for Walt Disney Studios. He opened the dedicated marionette theater in 1963 alongside co-founder Alton Wood and died in November 2014 at age 90. Following his passing, the theater's staff stepped up to continue its work, and the organization transitioned into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2019 to preserve its collection and community educational programs.
That nonprofit status came at a pivotal moment. The theater was forced out of its original location near Downtown Los Angeles due to residential redevelopment, eventually settling into a 10-year lease at its current York Boulevard address in Highland Park.
Securing a Permanent Home on York Boulevard
That building carries its own layered history. The York Theater building on York Boulevard dates to 1925 and functioned as a vaudeville venue and movie house before serving as a church and retail space in subsequent decades, as Hoodline previously reported. In April 2026, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater entered into an agreement to purchase the 10,000-square-foot building for about $5 million, with roughly $4.5 million raised toward the purchase price, leaving about $500,000; another $2 million was needed for repairs and upgrades.
The move toward ownership follows years of institutional rebuilding. The theater recently gave its York Boulevard marquee featuring its trumpeter clown mascot Toot a glow-up. An organist also plays live music before and during performances.
A Landmark With Deep Civic Roots
The theater's civic standing dates back even further. The Los Angeles City Council designated the Bob Baker Marionette Theater as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #958 in June 2009, after puppeteers staged a live puppet performance inside City Hall chambers during a 14-0 vote. The original theater building was a former movie scenery shop and workshop for special-effects artist M.B. Paul.
Beyond the Highland Park stage, the organization has kept a busy public presence across the region, producing its annual Bob Baker Day puppet festival and making a spring appearance at Coachella.
