Looking Glass Artists Center will present a puppet show, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, this Friday, Sept. 7, as part of Downtown Salisbury’s “Kids’ Night Out.” The puppet show will take place every 30 minutes, starting at 5:30 p.m., with the last performance starting at 7:30 p.m. The shows will be in the black box theater, where there will be free popcorn and drinks.

Also on hand will be young musicians from the Salisbury Symphony’s Super Strings. They will be assisting the Symphony’s education director, Susan Trivette, in offering a “Musical Instrument Petting Zoo” where visitors can try their hand at playing a stringed instrument.

The puppet version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff being presented Friday is taken from a musical version of the story commissioned by the Salisbury Symphony in 2000 for its mini-concerts of schools.

Composer Sarah Fuller Hall set the story to music, with the little goat represented by violin, the medium-sized goat the viola, the big goat the cello, and the troll portrayed by the string bass. A few years later, Hall turned the work into a children’s book with accompanying CD. Narrating the story on the recording is Salisbury Symphony Executive Director Linda Jones, and the music is performed by musicians Suzy Perkins, violin; John Pruett, viola; Anne Selliti, cello; and Bu Scherf, bass.
Illustrations for the book of The Three Billy Goats Gruff were provided by Salisbury artist Mark Brincefield (known to readers of Salisbury Post as the cartoonist, “Mook”). Brincefield has designed and constructed goat puppets based on his book illustrations, and they will be making their debut Friday night.

The LGAC black box theater is located at 405 N. Lee Street. Currently on exhibit in the black box is art by Kirk and Savannah Huffman of Seven Eight Design. The lobby gallery has work on display and for sale by seven local artists. For more information, call 704-633-2787, or contact salisburyartists@gmail.com