Posted: March 18, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.; updated March 21, 2015 at 10:53 p.m.

If you can hold the attention of a room full of two- to four-year-olds, you’re doing something right.

And “Goodnight Moon The Musical” delighted the theater full of very young children with its playful, energetic and sweet show about a bunny who just isn’t ready to go to sleep yet. Directed by Sandra Bremer, the show combines a joyful cast with a technical crew ready to take on any challenge to create magic for young children.

Farmer’s Alley seems to realize that kids can be a tough audience. They’re not as willing as adults to suspend disbelief and they have high demands when it comes to visual presentation. Even toddlers are used to high-color graphics and the world of videos and electronic games. Nor are they shy about showing exactly what they think and feel.

Farmer’s Alley caters to these kids by bringing out the stage magic and having actors who can interact with the audience without ever intimidating or frightening them.

The cast of four is led by Ken Holda, the only actor who has a single role rather than three. He’s a bouncy bunny who is simply not ready for bed and pulls out every trick in the book to stay awake. He’s joined by Lindsay Powers (Mouse, Dog and Baby Bear), Mary Teutsch (Old Lady, Clarabelle, Mama Bear) and Joe Cavaiani (Cat, Tooth Fairy, and Papa Bear). All four have full, clear voices, wonderful energy and are fully committed to playing to and with their audience. They also play well with each other, always generous in their interactions.

Cavaiani was especially fun as the Tooth Fairy (and yes, the tooth fairy can be a man—it just depends, as the Mouse said, on who is on shift that night). He had a twinkling solo as he danced around the room trying to not wake the bunny and the mouse so he wouldn’t get caught and be seen.

All of Chad Henry’s script is based on the Margaret Wise Brown children’s picture book, “Goodnight Moon.” It’s a short book and even with the addition of “Runaway Bunny,” you wouldn’t think the book could be a full-length show. However, all the songs and actions were very much in theme with the story and it pulled on familiar bedtime routines that both children and parents could relate to. Different items in the Big Green Room inspired songs and bits of the story.

As the show went on and the children became more familiar and comfortable with the characters, the show became more interactive–first asking the audience to provide drum rolls, and then do such things as chant and catch stars. Holda became their friend and they welcomed him into their ranks.

Technical Director Eric Perry led a crew of magicians who created a set that worked as hard as the actors. Scenic Designer W. Douglas Blickle and Scenic Painter Elizabeth Honeysett created a set that was instantly familiar to those who loved the book. They used the same colors and recreated the illustrations from the book on the stage and then brought those stage pieces to life. The picture of the three bears and their chairs moved, the clock talked, the fire winked, the kittens bounced, a red balloon floated across the stage and the little house winked on and off. Outside the curtained windows, the moon rose and sang its own song.

Perry’s lighting design provided comedy to the story along with giving the cow something to jump over with a moon in a mud puddle. Leah Hummel provided simple, evocative costumes that actors could change in and out of quickly. CJ Drenth filled the stage with props from the book along with such extras as a tooth, balls of knitting and a bowl of mush.

All of the crew made magic that appealed to their young audience and made the storybook stage come to life with production values that rivaled and often surpassed any adult show.

Farmer’s Alley also committed to creating an experience for their young audiences. There were blue and pink bunny ears for sale in the lobby, and after the show families were invited to take pictures with the costumed cast members.

SHOW DETAILS:
Goodnight Moon
Farmers Alley Theatre
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo
March 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22: Friday 8 p.m.; Sat-Sun 2 p.m.
Price: $15.00
269-343-2727
www.farmersalleytheatre.com