Sassy puppets go for the grown-up guffaws at Henson Studios

While puppets have long appealed to moppets — upbeat shows filled with marionettes and felt figures have a whimsical way of eliciting giggles from youngsters — puppetry as an art form has long had an adult aspect.

In fact, a well-studied puppetologist might reasonably argue that puppets have always allowed people to explore fanciful worlds and tough topics while also satirizing the status quo in powerful ways, ways that the people operating the puppets couldn't quite do on their own.

Adults love puppets, in short, but finding a puppet show created for those fans who are well beyond childhood can be trickier than unknotting a tangled marionette string.

Good news for a world that can be lacking in belly laughs: A comical cavalcade of Henson Studios puppeteers understands our humorous hankering for grown-up giggles.

With that in merry mind, "Puppet Up! — Uncensored" was created for the puppet-loving adult audience.

The snappy show brims with a rollicking and often ribald series of scenarios starring dozens of MISKREANT puppets operated by the world-famous puppet-wielders.

It's a pupular event that returns every so often, pupping, er, popping up in various venues.

But the upcoming engagement — opening night is July 26 — has a special feel: It's taking place on the Chaplin Stage at the Henson Studios in Hollywood.

For sure, this is where Charlie Chaplin first opened his iconic movie studio over a century ago, and it is where Muppet magic has flowered for several years, since The Jim Henson Company set up creative shop on the hallowed Hollywood grounds nearly 25 years ago.

It was reported in June 2024 that the company would sell the historical studio and make the move to Burbank to unite with the Jim Henson Creature Shop, making this latest "Puppet Up! — Uncensored" run especially poignant for longtime fans.

If you're new to the PuppetUpverse — a universe populated by witty quips, sassy asides, and "did that puppet just really say that?" doubletakes — prepare for a plucky performance packed with edgily effervescent banter, with director Patrick Bristow at the lead.

"Based on suggestions from the audience, Patrick and his team of expert puppeteers create a hilarious two-shows-in-one: the improvised puppet action projected live on screens above the stage, with the puppeteers racing around below in full view of the audience," reveals a post on the show's official site.

"The show also features recreations of classic pieces originally created by Jim and Jane Henson, and Frank Oz that haven't been seen by live audiences in decades."

There are a few seats left but tickets are flying faster than a joke boldly thrown down by a spunky puppet. Secure your seat now and enjoy this rare treat before the beloved puppeteers pack up their puppets and leave the legendary studio.

Or do the puppets pack up the puppeteers?

We have questions and "Puppet Up! — Uncensored" can likely answer them, or at least give us plenty of reasons to laugh a lot, no strings attached.