DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
"Bear in the Big Blue House" was performed at the Hawaii
Theatre before a crowd of youngsters and their parents. Bear
and Tutter, the blue mouse, performed in this scene.

‘Bear’ party to go on
despite theft of puppets

---

By Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.com

Parents, children and ticket holders of all ages to this week's "Bear in the Big Blue House Live! 'Surprise Party'" have no reason to worry. The show will go on.

Hand puppets of "Tutter" the blue mouse and "Pip" and "Pop" purple otters have been snatched, but stage performances of the popular children's show will continue as scheduled tomorrow through Sunday at the Hawaii Theatre Center.

"We have a second set so the show will go on," said Sara Campbell, regional sales manager for Vee Entertainment Corp., a Minneapolis-based company that produces the multimillion-dollar musical as well as "Sesame Street Live."

The three puppets were stolen from a rental car in Waikiki sometime between 7 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday, police said.

Valued at $12,000, the puppets were taken from the trunk of a Mustang convertible parked at Waikiki's Park Shore Hotel at 2586 Kalakaua Ave.

"We'll take them back no questions asked," Campbell said.

CRIMESTOPPERS PHOTOS
Police detectives suspect the men shown here may be
involved in an auto break-in in which puppets from the
"Bear in the Big Blue House" were stolen sometime
between Sunday night and Monday morning in Waikiki.

"We honestly don't think the person who took them knew what they were taking," she said. "They were in a black duffel bag of sorts so we think they just opened the trunk, took the bag not expecting to find a mouse and two otters."

Meanwhile, CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department yesterday were asking for the public's help in identifying two men suspected of stealing items in a similar case at Aston Coral Reef Hotel at 2299 Kuhio Ave.

That case also involved a rented Mustang, in which the driver's door lock was punched and the trunk opened, police said. Detectives said the cases may be related.

In the Aston case, a suspect or suspects made off with several bags, including a Nike duffel bag filled with clothes, a camera, a compact disc player and other items, valued at around $2,200, police said. The theft occurred between noon Sunday and 1 p.m. Monday, police said.

Surveillance cameras in that case caught the suspects "not only leaving but leaving with stolen property in their hands," said Detective Letha DeCaires of CrimeStoppers.

Suspect One is described as having a mustache, tan complexion and slim build. He was pictured wearing a jacket, long pants, tennis shoes and carrying bags over both shoulders.

Suspect Two is described as having a muscular build, dark complexion, mustache and goatee. He was wearing a hat, long-sleeve shirt, long pants and tennis shoes. Both men are believed to be 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and in their early 30s.

AMAZON.COM
Pip and Pop were shown on the cover of the Berry
Bear Christmas video.

Anyone with information on either case may call Detective Ben Mahi at 971-2566. Anonymous tips may be made by calling CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on your cellular phone.

CrimeStoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects.

Despite the puppet thefts and the loss of some of the crews' personal belongings, Campbell emphasized: "The show will go on, and this will not deter us from returning to Honolulu with our other productions."