Adam Brown
Erica Halverson (left) as the Cat and James Carrington as the restless Bunny.
The classic children’s book, Goodnight Moon, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, has been lulling young people to sleep since its publication in 1947. A scant 28 pages long, the rhythmic, poetic tale follows a little bunny as he goes through his nighttime rituals and eventually falls asleep. Now Children’s Theater of Madison presents a musical production of the beloved bedtime book, running in the Playhouse at Overture Center through February 28. Scanning the audience of three to six year-olds and their parents at the opening matinee performance, most of whom were already ardent Goodnight Moon fans, one question kept running through my head: How are they going to stretch this story to fill 70 minutes?
Much to my surprise (and delight) the production riffs on all of the classic elements already present in the book, simply making them richer — and funnier. By expanding the role of the little bunny, inserting content from Brown’s other children’s favorite, The Runaway Bunny, and adding some well-executed song and dance numbers for comic relief, this version of Goodnight Moon feels like an authentic and thoroughly entertaining continuation of the story.
It helps that the smart script is brought to life by energetic and enchanting performances by the whole cast, led by James Carrington as the restless Bunny. Through his kinetic physicality, wide eyes and winning grin, Carrington joyfully embodies the impatience, the wonder, the charm and the relentless distractibility of a toddler who is just not ready to call it a day. He is gently chastised and placated by the Old Lady Saying Hush, a perfectly cast Terry Kiss-Frank. With the soft touch of a loving grandmother, she sings, tells stories and fetches glasses of water and stuffed animals — returning again and again to convince her charge to stay in bed
As Mouse, Samantha Sostarich is Bunny’s playful companion in mischief. She lends her beautiful singing voice to the only ballad of the show, “North Star,” which unfortunately comes near the end of the performance when little ones are getting wiggly. Joshua Krause is charming in several roles, including an unorthodox take on the tooth fairy, and young performer Flynn Marcus is especially captivating as Mr. Nobody — the one who is always blamed for messes and mischief. In a clever touch of staging, we see Mr. Nobody operating many of the special effects onstage, giving him an even more magical quality.
Erica Halverson brings considerable panache to her role of the Cat; she is part ringmaster, part vaudeville performer, asking the audience to provide a drumroll each time the cow in the painting above the fireplace attempts to jump over the moon. Her daughter, Grace Halverson, threatens to steal every scene, including a complicated dance number, when she appears as an adorable Baby Bear. Brian Cowing’s choreography is intricate and entertaining, keeping the show moving at a quick clip.
Another welcoming element is the show’s set, an exact replica of the book’s distinctive illustrations. With its familiar telephone, and red balloon, and pictures of the cow jumping over the moon, next to the portrait of three little bears sitting on chairs, the only surprise for viewers is how these set pieces spring magically to life. Designed by the exceptionally talented Charles “Jen” Trieloff II (1970–2014) for an earlier production of the play, the artistry and detail onstage is a potent reminder of his extraordinary skill.
Directed by Roseann Sheridan with assistance from Erica Berman, Goodnight Moon succeeds in telling a winning story without mugging for laughs or talking down to its very young audience. When I asked my six-year-old companion what he thought of the show he said simply, “I want to see it again.” For someone who has had the book read to him over and over and over, that’s high praise indeed.
