A High Energy "Knuffle Bunny" from Bay Area Children's Theatre

My kids have always loved the books by children's author Mo Willems, especially his Knuffle Bunny series, so we were all excited to see the new Bay Area Children's Theatre production of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley.

This high-energy, fast-moving, and funny production expands upon the Knuffle Bunny story but remains true to the book, thanks to the witty song lyrics and script penned by Willems himself.

Knuffle Bunny tells the story of what happens when Dad (Derek Travis Collard) tries to give Mom (Michelle Drexler) a break and takes tricky toddler Trixie (Allison Johnson) and her stuffed animal Knuffle Bunny with him to the laundromat.

Overconfident Dad thinks the trip will go without a hitch, but stressed-out Mom knows otherwise but agrees with the plan anyhow. All goes well until Trixie realizes something is wrong and tries to tell Dad, who can't understand her babble and thinks she just needs her diaper changed.

There are plenty of songs, dance numbers, and even a Mo Willems pigeon makes an appearance during Dad and Trixie's urban odyssey. My daughter's favorite part was when Dad dove into the washing machine in search of Trixie's stuffed companion and encountered oversized clothing items and a human-sized Knuffle Bunny. The play's show-stopper moment, however, was definitely Trixie's plaintive song sung entirely in incomprehensible but somehow still moving baby babble.

As always with productions from Bay Area Children's Theatre, singing, dancing, and acting are top-notch. Knuffle Bunny will appeal to everyone in the family, from the kids who enjoy the book to parents who will certainly sympathize with Mom and Dad's challengin situationg. It's another must-see!

If You Go

Performances of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 2 pm through May 5 at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in downtown Berkeley. It's close to Marin and it's a fantastic venue in which to see live theater. The production runs approximately one hour, with a 15-minute intermission for snacks and bathroom breaks.

The Freight & Salvage has a snack bar on site, where you can load up on cookies, hot chocolate, juice, coffee, and other goodies to enjoy during the performance. The Freight & Salvage is located at 2020 Addison Street, between Milvia Street and Shattuck Avenue, in downtown Berkeley. Convenient parking is available literally right next door at the Center Street Garage (there's an entrance on Addison). For directions and additional parking information, visit www.thefreight.org.

Tickets are $15 for children, $17 for seniors, $20 for adults, and $12 each for groups. To order, call the Bay Area Children's Theatre box office at (510) 296-4433 or visit www.bactheater.org.