Peter and the Wolf is a classic children's story written in 1936 by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. In the story each of the animal characters and Peter have their own musical sound. The story has been presented in many productions around the world and now it's coming to Hawaii with a delightful puppet production at UH. Ramsay Wharton joined Master Puppeteer, John Chambers, live this morning from the campus' Kennedy Theatre.

John Chambers started puppeteering at age 7 and has been entertaining the young and young at heart for more than 40 years. The Master Puppeteer with Jim Gamble Puppet Productions in Southern California will control about a dozen puppets during the 40-minute production of Peter and the Wolf  this Sunday, January 13. Nearly 2,000 school children and guests will also get a sneak peak of the show today and tomorrow during field trips to the Kennedy Theatre show.

Chambers says the show is introduced by a puppet of composer, Sergei Prokofiev, who introduces the children to the story's puppet characters and musical representations. Peter and the Wolf is scored for flute, oboe, clarinet in A, bassoon, 3 horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, triangle, tambourine, cymbals, castanets, snare drum, bass drum and strings.

Each character in the story has a particular instrument and a musical theme, or leitmotif :
Bird : flute
Duck : oboe
Cat : clarinet
Grandfather : bassoon
Wolf : 3 French horns
Hunters (gunshots) : timpani and bass drum (The hunters' theme is actually introduced by the woodwinds)
Peter: string instruments

Chambers says this production is interactive, with the children prompted to respond to the questions of a narrator whose voice is heard over the Prokofiev score.  Used as a tool for music education, Chambers says this puppet production of Peter and the Wolf helps children understand how composer's hear the world that we see.

Peter and the Wolf has been awarded the UNIMA Citation for Excellence.
Tickets are onsale at the Kennedy Theatre Box Office Jan. 7, and at Campus Center, Sept. 10.

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