Penny and the Puppettes, New York

The story of Penny and the Puppettes traces back to Bob Munstedt, a children's musician and puppeteer who captivated youngsters from the 1940s through the 1970s. Inheriting her father's love for kid-friendly performances, Munstedt’s daughter Jane Stratten founded her own touring puppet show, Jane Stratten's Musical Puppets. The family business entered its third generation when Jane's daughter, Merissa Morin, graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and founded Penny and the Puppettes, a program dedicated to delighting children with interactive, educational, and engaging shows and classes. Morin's and her staff's mission is to give kids an outlet to improve their musical, creative, and social skills.