Reimagining Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ With Enormous South African Puppets

“The dragon of this production has a wingspan of 33 feet, and weighs in at 440 pounds. … The beast has three manipulators – one inside the body, one in the head, and it’s walking and flicking its ears and opening its mouth and has teeth. … Dubbed Firebird: Reimagined, the piece receives its live-orchestra world premiere at the Mann [Center in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park] on July 20, … [and] it will move on to Wolf Trap, Ravinia, the Hollywood Bowl, and other summer venues.”