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Based on the iconic picture book but considerably more antic, thishour-long romp -- directed by Mary Hall Surface -- conjures up dancing constellations, magical furniture,vaudeville turns by nursery rhyme characters, and a male toothfairy who looks like a debonair, winged dentist. No wonder the show's excitable young protagonist, Bunny, initiallyresists the arms of Morpheus. Adapter-composer Chad Henry eventually does coax the pajama-cladrabbit (Kurt Boehm) into the drowsy, reverent mood that suffusedMargaret Wise Brown's 1947 book. And in this staging, co-producedby Adventure and D.C.'s Tribute Productions (the musical premieredlast year in Seattle), the source material is never far from themind, thanks to Tony Cisek's knockout set -- a dead ringer for theroom in Clement Hurd's original illustrations. The green walls, thered carpet, the mittens drying on a rack, the yellow rocking chairwhere the Old Lady (Judy Simmons, wearing a floral dress and rabbitears) sits and knits, the hovering red balloon -- these and otherpictorial elements seem to have miraculously teleported out of the HarperCollins edition and into three-dimensional space. As familiar as it looks, however, Cisek's room harbors surprises.The blue clock over the mantelpiece executes jumping jacks; theballoon meanders of its own accord; the dollhouse buzzes andtwinkles, as if inhabited by elves; and a rotary telephone brieflyturns into a googly-eyed creature that might have stepped out of"The Muppet Show." Popping in periodically, and rivaling the kinetic decor, is a rangeof animals depicted by members of the talented five-person cast.The book's mouse and kittens are present -- they're marionettesmanipulated by the actors (who wear chic green-and-orange Washing Enzyme for these scenes, rather than traditional puppeteer black; TimmBurrow designed the production's fetching costumes and Eric Brooksmasterminded the puppet movement). We also encounter figures from the paintings on the walls. Thethree bears depicted on one canvas, for instance, seem to vanishbehind the frame and reappear at floor level (where they're playedby Cyana Cook, Danny Pushkin and Jennifer Timberlake). Here,dressed in ursine-brown tailcoats, they tap-dance and play musicalchairs. (Adventure Theatre Artistic Director Michael J. Bobbittdevised the show's exuberant choreography, which suits thenow-peppy, now-honeyed score.) In a more developed subplot, justified by the painting of a leapingcow, the characters from the nursery rhyme "Hey, Diddle Diddle"materialize to sing a boogie-woogie number. Led by thefiddle-wielding Cat (a jaunty Timberlake), who's clad in arazzle-dazzle purple music-hall outfit, the gang includes the Dishthat Ran Away with the Spoon (Cook) -- a sultry, twirling figure ina tropical-hued dress and a gigantic saucer-shaped hat. Boehm's endearing portrait of Bunny provides continuity through thecarnivalesque comings and goings. Jumping up and down on the bed,racing around the room, clamoring for a pre-bedtime glass of water,he exudes childlike boisterousness. Simmons is engagingly maternalas the Old Lady, a role that showcases her strong singing voice.(She also plays a woebegone cow.) In a winning cameo, Pushkin ischeerful and nerdy as the Tooth Fairy, decked out a white medicalcoat. With such sweet and wacky characters to watch -- and with the setsoliciting nostalgia -- "Goodnight Moon" is likely to divertparents as well as children (the production staff recommends it forages 1 through 8). As a special bonus, audiences at Friday nightperformances (most of the shows are matinees) are encouraged toshow up in pajamas. Milk and cookies will be provided. Goodnight Moon, musical adaptation by Chad Henry, based on the children's book byMargaret Wise Brown and illustrator Clement Hurd. Directed by MaryHall Surface; musical direction, Jay Crowder; lighting, Dan Covey;sound, Matthew M. Nielson; props, Dre Moore; puppets and video, thePuppet Co. One hour.
2008-06-06 13:28:11