In fact, this year’s prom was the most elaborate yet. Not only did Reilly play emcee, but he also delighted the room with a suite of on-theme ditties (“I’m Your Puppet”; “Am I a Toy or a Treasure?”), accompanied by singer Sierra Ferrell and the seven-piece New Orleans jazz-style band The California Feet Warmers. Later in the night, the producer, DJ, and artist Kindness—whose collaborators have included Robyn, Solange, and Dev Hynes—kept the floor moving with a steady stream of club classics.

There was good reason for the pomp and circumstance: a little over two weeks ago, the BBMT announced its “In LA to Stay” campaign, during which it aimed to raise $5 million in capital to buy the theater’s current building, and another $2 million for needed renovations. Ahead of the prom, the campaign had already found several benefactors, including Wallis Annenberg, the Chris and Melody Malachowsky Family Foundation, and longtime supporters actor Jack Black and his wife, folk artist Tanya Haden. By the final dance, Puppet Prom had reached its $100,000 goal, netting a generous matching donation on top of that. (At the time of writing, the theater is continuing to fundraise through a live auction and cash donations.)

Photo: Max Christiansen/BFA.com

Photo: Max Christiansen/BFA.com

For the community surrounding it, BBMT is an irreplaceable resource. “I’ve been coming to Bob Baker’s marionette shows since my kids were small,” Reilly says. “It is one of the most original and creative theater companies Los Angeles has ever had, inspiring generation after generation of young—and older—minds.”

“So many of our members delight in the work the BBMT does, from going there as children to bringing their grandkids there today,” adds Nicole Infante, director of the Garibaldina Society, which has donated its space for the Puppet Prom each year. “There wasn’t a discussion of if we should help, it was how—and will we get to pet the puppets!”