by jennifer burklow Kid Zone November 9, 2011 5:46PM
Alex Goodrich stars as Bunny and Becky Poole stars as Mouse in “Goodnight Moon the Musical.”
‘Goodnight Moon’ Pajama Parties
† 7 p.m. Nov. 11, Dec. 9 and 16; Adler Planetarium presentation 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11
† Regular show run, through Dec. 23
† Chicago Children’s Theatre at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln
† Tickets, $26-$36
† (773) 871-3000; chica gochildrenstheatre.org
Pajamas and the board book Goodnight Moon go together like milk and cookies. That’s exactly what Chicago Children’s Theatre will be serving up on three Friday nights during its musical production of the Margaret Wise Brown classic at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2333 N. Lincoln.
on Nov. 11, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, families are encouraged to bring their kids dressed in pajamas for the familiar tale of a young bunny saying good night to all the things in his room. Following the show they can mingle with the cast (something that happens after each performance) while enjoying milk and cookies. Kids too tired to stay? No problem, said CCC Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell. you can take the goodies to go.
“We pretty much came up with the idea that, just the whole idea of Goodnight Moon being a bedtime book and how fun we thought it would be to bring your kids to the show in the evening in the pajamas and have a fun family time, have cookies and milk, and take them all home to bed!” she said.
The after-show party lasts 15 to 20 minutes, Russell said, “so kids can get on to bed. . . . the show runs about an hour. It’s a pretty nice and quick little family outing.”
Russell said the musical brings the book to life in an interactive, magical way.
“It’s like the book is so simple, but the show really brings out like everything — so we have dancing bears and we have cows jumping over moons and the Runaway Bunny also makes an appearance. . . . I keep telling people, it’s like the Marx Brothers have put on ‘Goodnight Moon.’ It’s wonderfully funny, extremely interactive, and a lot of fun and a happy time,” she said.
Since the moon is a big part of the story, CCC teamed up with Adler Planetarium to create the study guide for the show (downloadable at chicagochildrenstheatre.org) and for a couple of special events. the first is a kid-friendly preshow discussion about the moon at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 with Geza Gyuk, Adler’s director of astronomy. the second happens at 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at the planetarium (1300 S. Lake Shore; adlerplanetarium.org) when a guest bunny from the theater will read the book during a special story time (included in Adler admission).
the two cultural attractions also have teamed up to offer discounts. Folks who see “Goodnight Moon” can present their ticket stubs at the Adler and get $3 off admission to “Deep Space Adventure.” Families who visit the Adler can present their Adler stub or membership card at the Biograph box office and get $5 off the ticket price for the musical.
with a run that covers two holidays, Chicago Children’s Theatre also partnered with Scholastic Books and the Pajama Program for a pajama and book drive. for the duration of “Goodnight Moon,” CCC is encouraging audience members to drop off new children’s pajamas in the donation bin in the Biograph lobby. Scholastic Books will donate a book for each pair of donated pajamas, allowing kids in need to receive a pair of PJs and a book. Many of the young recipients are in foster care or are waiting to be adopted.
† Chicagoan Florence Dunham, a master storyteller of the Mohawk tribe, will share Iroquois stories and Songs at 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 Central St., Evanston. Born and raised on the six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada, Dunham is the niece of Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto in the “Lone Ranger” television series. Admission to this special event is $12 in addition to regular admission of $5 for adults and $3 for kids 1 to 17. call (847) 475-1030 or visit mitchellmuseum.org.
† Operation Christmas Child’s national collection week runs Nov. 14-21. Sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, the effort asks families to fill shoeboxes for needy children and drop them off at one of 25 collection points in the Chicago area, including the Moody Bible Institute, 820 N. La Salle. for information about what to pack and other drop-off locations, visit samaritanspurse.org.
† the pop musical Seussical, based on 14 stories by Dr. Seuss, takes the stage Nov. 11-Dec. 31 at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire. Tickets are $15. call (847) 634-0200 or visit marriotttheatre.com.
Jennifer Burklow is a local freelance writer.