There isn’t much to know about Mr. Snickers except that it is written and directed to be a tear jerker and it accomplishes that goal well enough that at least half the audience will be crying at the final scene that is more melancholy than sad. Mr. Snickers has the advantage of intermittent good music and most importantly an endearing dog puppet under the control of an amazing puppeteer in Mecca Akbar. The show also has an excellent cast anchored by its protagonist Nicholas James Reilly (Rick Bowman) and lead supporting actress Rori Nogee (Olivia Olivier).

The show is very commercial and should do well in its run at Urban Stages. But like a musical with great songs and great singers, the puppet, great acting and the music effectively cover major holes in the plot of Mr. Snickers. If Mr. Snickers was heard at a table reading, you would hand the author a book full of notes. It would be good if these holes were corrected, but it is unlikely that they will keep many away or cause the play too much disparagement. It is always amazing how much can be done with puppets that cannot be accomplished by humans.