Review: THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW at Imagination Stage

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, and the stage production of it does not disappoint!

Now playing at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland, the ravenous insect is the headliner with opening acts of three other Eric Carle stories. As a parent, I feel this is important to point out, so your kids don’t think they’re going to see their green friend right off the top. However, they should enjoy what they see as the openers are also cherished Carle books: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”, “10 Little Rubber Ducks”, and “The Very Busy Spider”.

These stories come alive with the help of sizable puppets of all colors, operated by puppeteers Jordan Essex, Irene Hamilton, Andres F. Roa, Bri Houtman, Moira Todd and Harry Denby III. I have read “Brown Bear” to my kids about a million times, so it was wonderful to see it moving around right before my eyes. A vibrant “red bird” was a big hit with my three-year-old son. He also exclaimed “That’s a big duck!,” when “yellow duck” hit the stage.

My son sat for the entire show, which lasted about an hour. Parents will know, that’s a big win. He absolutely loved the lighting changes and could not stop talking about the lights shining down and changing the color of the stage. 

In addition to “Brown Bear”, I have “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” memorized. This is not a brag (as I could not even tell you what I ate this morning), but it’s more to bring home the point of just how many times I’ve read this book to my kids because they love it. Most do.

“One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and pop! Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.” At the reading of this line and “pop!”, my son’s jaw literally dropped open when he saw the caterpillar emerge from the egg. It was the sweetest moment to see. Once the shock wore off, he was back to talking to the stage yelling “Hi, Caterpillar!”

I saw The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show years ago at Imagination Stage and I’m happy they have brought it back as part of their ‘Greatest Hits’ series. My son and I had a great time and I would recommend it to other parents looking to take their kids to the theatre. 10/10! No notes!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show is playing at Imagination Stage until October 22. It runs 55 minutes and is best for ages 3-8.