"Goodnight Moon" Shines on White Street

By Thea Glassman
POSTED OCTOBER 1, 2007

Bunny is every parent’s nightmare. He squeals and carries on when told to go to bed, begging for just one more story, one more lullaby and one more glass of water. He refuses to sleep until he’s said good night to every object in the room and even then can’t be kept under the sheets for long.

Thankfully for parents everywhere Bunny can only be found in the Manhattan Children Theatre’s production “Goodnight Moon,” starring as the furry nuisance with a motor mouth and an overactive imagination.

Adapted, with a musical twist, from the classic children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, “Goodnight Moon” tells the adventures of Bunny (Laurie Naftulin) and his friend Mouse (Jennifer Margulis) as the objects in their room come to life. (Cast members vary with the performance.) 

The audience is captivated by their antics. They giggle as three bears do the bunny hop, and shriek when a mysterious caller with a growl for a voice threatens the frightened rabbit.

The four actors jump head first, unselfconsciously, into each crazy event, always eager to please. Naftulin and Margulis turn potentially irritating characters into charming and loveable ones. The biggest laughs go to Chris Alonzo who plays the tooth fairy, the announcer and a red balloon with vigor.

The audience loves watching Madeleine Burns as the determined Clarabelle, a cow whose dearest ambition is to jump over the moon. She gets enthusiastic whoops and applause each time she sashays onto the stage and prepares for her brave attempt. Each time, however, she fails and as the play progresses she feels more and more defeated.

The moon Clarabelle attempts to jump over is one piece of the impressive set designed by Andrea Steiner. Bunny’s room is a cozy haven of warm blues and green walls, a crackling fireplace, a rocking chair and a realistic starry night backdrop. The smaller props are also used cleverly, from a dollhouse that lights up each time a fairy speaks to a sparkly tooth bigger than a fist that comes out after Bunny persistently wiggles it.

Bunny and Mouse’s adventures in their quaint little room all lead up to the moment everyone is waiting for. An exhausted Clarabelle is going to try one last time to jump over the moon. Of course, she is not alone. The whole cast joins together and croons to her in an upbeat song about having a “sunny mentality” and believing in the impossible.  And as the kids in the audience watch in awe, a tiny shadow appears in the sky and leaps successfully over the moon. The huge applause and cheering that follows is proof that though Bunny may be a parent’s worst nightmare, anyone would be happy to take a ride through his crazy imagination.

Manhattan Children’s Theatre, 52 White St., 212-352-3101, www.mctny.com. $20; 2-17 and seniors $15. Sats and Suns, 12 and 2pm. Through 12/9.

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