The Peoria Symphony Puppet Troupe works their “Puppet Magic” behind the raised stage as it performs “Peter and the Wolf” at Limestone Walters School in Bartonville last fall. (BRIAN LUDWIG)

The young students sat mesmerized in the gymnasium of Peoria Academy as they watched puppets prance around a pop-up stage during a performance of “Peter and the Wolf” last November.

Behind — and beneath — the scenes, six women of the Peoria Symphony Puppet Troupe did their own carefully choreographed dance as they worked their “Puppet Magic” overhead.

It’s been a Tri-County tradition for Kindergarten through third-graders for some 54 years.

The Peoria Symphony Puppet Troupe performs “Peter and the Wolf” at Peoria Academy. (PHOTO BY BRIAN LUDWIG)

“They started in 1967 building the scenery and then they started doing the puppets,” said puppeteer Peggy Reid, who is a music teacher from Washington and the current band leader of the Troupe. “The first show was in 1969.”

And since the Troupe “broke a leg” in that inaugural production at Columbia School in Peoria, it has performed for almost 730,000 children since.

“In 2019 — the last year we (performed) — we went to 36 schools in the Tri-County area and did 48 shows,” said Reid, who has been performing since 2007. The Peoria Symphony reports usually more than 13,000 students see the show annually. The puppeteers normally perform for every Peoria Public Schools K-3 class, but have not been able to since 2019 per the pandemic. Six schools have let the Troupe in their doors this Fall.

Little ones have also been treated to “Hansel and Gretel” and “Peer Gent” on alternating years during this magnificent run. They were forced to take the year off in 2020, of course.

“I look forward to it. Especially after having the year off,” said Laura Metz, who’s had her hands in the traveling Troupe for the past eight years. “I realized how much I missed it.”

It’s just as much a treat for the leading ladies as for the kids, who get to enjoy a break from class.

“You can hear them react,” said nine-year puppeteer Joyce Bonner. “They’re so up-close and personal.”

Most of the women in the Troupe are retired educators so they have now been on both sides of the show. Some even saw it as students themselves.

“It’s good to get back in the building,” said second-year talent Mary Taylor, who taught in Dunlap. “The kids love it. They loved it when I was teaching.”

There are several second-generation puppeteers performing presently.

“I saw it as a third-grader. Then I saw it for 30 years as a teacher,” said Laura Schein, who taught at Roosevelt for most of her career. “I did the show with my (own) students. We made the scenery and the puppets.”

Schein’s mother and Reid’s mom are former puppeteers. “My mom subbed for her mom,” Schein said.

The Peoria Symphony Guild — the fundraising arm of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra — boasts that it sponsors the longest running puppet show in the nation since the Troupe began its run after the Junior League ended its “Punch and Judy” shows in 1967. The Junior League gave the Troupe its raised stage, which is still used today.

“We think we are the only guild that has a puppet performance,” said Peoria Symphony Guild president Karen Datzman.

The Puppet Troupe is actually the youngest of a three-pronged approach in the symphony’s educational outreach to youngsters. The Guild also sponsors an annual student concert, which started in 1954, and a young artist competition, which began in ’58, in its effort “to promote the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, provide music education to all age groups and to elevate the standard of art in the community.”

The young artist competition expanded its reach to any student (third through 12th grade) within 350 miles of Peoria and raised its prize money to $1,000 for first place, $750 for second and $500 for third. The annual concert is open to schools within 75 miles of the city. Contest winners are invited to perform at the annual concert, which is now held at the Civic Center after a long run at the old Robertson Field House.

The Puppet Troupe provides each school with a “curriculum kit,” which includes a CD of the audio of the show, story synopsis, finger puppet artwork, posters, and a preparatory packet.

The Troupe earned the Classic Award from the League of American Orchestras in 2014 and has also been honored by the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education. The Troupe was feted for its 50th anniversary at the Guild’s Holiday Luncheon in 2018.

“I have great admiration for all the people (who) got it together,” said Taylor. “They left quite a legacy.”

The educational angle for this year’s “Peter and the Wolf” highlights the instruments of the orchestra with music composed by Prokofiev playing on a portable stereo. “Hansel and Gretal” emphasizes opera with its music by Engelbert Humperdinck and story by the Brothers Grimm. Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” stylizes the symphony suite to the tunes of Edvard Grieg.

So there’s a lot of thought — and work — behind the puppet shows for the 15 women who make up the six-puppeteer rotation. They set up the stage, the props, and lighting before each performance — usually in a school’s gymnasium. They can do three or four shows in a day, sometimes at separate schools, which requires striking the set and moving on to another venue.

“Everybody sees the show, but they don’t know how much work it is to set up,” said Metz.

Reid is in charge of puppet care. “Peggy takes the puppets home, and fixes them up,” said longtime puppeteer Rosemarie Ludwig. “They can get used and abused.”

Two Peoria Park District maintenance men transport the equipment and lend a hand in putting up and striking the set.

“They have a good flow,” said PPD maintenance manager Jacob Kuban, who sat on the sidelines with Avery Fischer during two performances at Limestone Walters. “It’s like they’re a team. They know their roles.”

After Peter kills the wolf and the puppets take their bow, the ladies come around to the front of the stage — with their hand and stick puppets — to take questions from the students.

“How do you all know all the parts of the play?” a child asked at Walters. “We practice!” exclaimed Reid.

“We practice all the parts,” explained Schein.

After the show, the ladies line up with their stuffed characters so the students can get one last look as they head back to class. Reid only asks, “Please do not touch the puppets. These puppets are older than all your teachers.”

The Peoria Symphony Puppet Troupe performs “Peter and the Wolf” last November at Peoria Academy. (PHOTO BY BRIAN LUDWIG)