My family was given five free tickets to see Emerald City Theatre’s Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at the Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park in exchange for posting a review of the show. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

And also, just in case you were wondering, “Knuffle” is pronounced in three syllables with a hard “k.” I’m so glad we got that cleared up :). 

Show Overview

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical is based in part on a true story from Mo Willem’s early life as a dad, outlined in his Caldecott Honor award winning book Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale.

When Dad and Trixie take a trip to the laundromat, Trixie’s beloved Knuffle Bunny is left behind. With no words to explain her sudden panic, Dad is left with the impossible task of uncovering the meaning of Trixie’s sudden and startling change in disposition. With a little translation help from Mom, and a grand heroic rescue from Dad, Knuffle Bunny is saved and Trixie finds her voice.

Both comedic and playful, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical is a wonderful family-friendly show with a heartwarming message children and adults of all ages will enjoy together.

Personal Connection & Message

There are so many great things about Knuffle Bunny but at the top of the list for our family is how accurately this story reflects our right-now-life, and the message beneath all the fun that drives the show.

Parenting is hard all by itself, but parenting littles when they have no words is exceptionally challenging. Our youngest is in therapy for speech delay and we struggle to understand him on a daily basis. It’s taxing on us, and it is SO frustrating for him, but we all keep trying because communicating with each other is so important.

I loved the lyrics to the song “Really, Really Love You” where Dad approaches Trixie after an exceptionally frustrating exchange and sings to her so simply, “I love you. I don’t understand you, but I want to. Maybe I don’t have to understand you to love you.”

Take all the stress away, all the sessions and the homework and the tell-it-to-me-one-more-times, and this is our heart toward Micah. Take this sentiment one step further, and our oldest is on the cusp of his pre-teenage years. We know miscommunication and misunderstanding are an inevitability in our future, and this is the posture we want to take as parents.

“We love you. We don’t understand you, but we want to. Maybe we don’t have to understand you to love you.” and “We promise we will listen.” – another beautiful sentiment from the closing song “Knuffle Bunny.”

Show Highlights

Playwright and Lyricist, Mo Willems

I have said this before and I will say it again – what Mo Willems touches turns to gold. How you take a 212 word count picture book and scale it into an entertaining hour-long musical is beyond me, but he’s done it, and he’s done it well.

I am continually in awe of his creative genius. We’ve been reading his books and attending his shows for years. He sets the bar so high, and then continues to out-do himself with each successive story. You could go and see the show on this point alone. I promise you would not be sorry!

Mind-Blowing Creativity

Besides being incredibly entertaining, Knuffle Bunny is wildly creative.

TECHNOLOGY | The use of technology to project background images and photographs on large squares of canvas held by the ensemble and then tossed to the main backdrop was such a perfect nod to the artistic expression of the book. In so many ways it felt like we had stepped into Trixie’s family story, into their neighborhood, and right onto the pages of Knuffle Bunny.

THE PIGEON | No Mo Willem’s story is complete without a cameo from The Pigeon, and the musical was no different. Bonus points for making him a puppet!

PROPS | I won’t go into incredible detail for fear of giving away too many spoilers, but the props were beautiful, larger-than life, and so perfect for the show.

BATTLE AT THE LAUNDROMAT | This was the highlight of the entire musical for me. It was funny, used the aforementioned props, had special effects, and was SO imaginative. It also happens to contain many of the actors and actresses most “oscar worthy” moments as outlined below.

The Cast

I would be remiss if I did not also list the actors and actresses who made this musical come alive with their performances. In a show where dialogue was mostly one sided, these men and women comically showed the struggle and the victory, rather than told it.

Here are a sampling of their most “oscar-worthy” moments:

Trixie played by Deanalis Resto | Speaking nonsense for 99% of the show, Deanalis perfectly portrayed a non-verbal toddler. Her tantrum in “AggleFlaggleKlabble” was spot-on – what every parent imagines is really going on when junior throws down at the mall.

Dad played by Matt Miles | In a war waged against oversized undergarments, Dad heroically and comically rescues Knuffle Bunny from the evils of the Washy Sudsy Laundromat.

Mom played by Abby Murray Vachon | Where is Knuffle Bunny? Where is Knuffle Bunny? WHERE IS KNUFFLE BUNNY!?! Every care-giver in the audience could relate to Mom, her need for a much needed respite, and the immediacy of her problem solving skills.

Ensemble played by Ayanna Bria Bakari, Jar’Davion Brown, and Emilie Modaff | In the battle at the laundromat, one played a snake-y tie, another an oversized brazier, and the final a menacing white shirt. All of them were exceptional.

Parent Notes

Talk to your kids

Use this experience to talk with your kids about what they’ve seen, heard, and learned – even though they’re young. This is one of the most enriching parts of going to the theater, and with a message like this one, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to practice communicating as a family.

Buy the Book

Read it ahead of time with your kids and then bring it with you to the show for autographs. We’ve made this a tradition with our boys whenever we go see a show. Not only does it extend the experience before and after the performance, but it becomes a really precious keepsake of our time together.

Suggested Age

Emerald City suggests this show is for ages 3+ but that doesn’t mean older or younger kids won’t enjoy it as well. My kids are 2, 7, and 9 and everyone had a great time. Win. Win. Win.

Show Run and Ticket Info

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical
“A Small Heroine with Big Problems”

March 24-May 27, 2018
At the Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park

Based on the book Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Published by Hyperion Books for Children
Script and Lyrics by Mo Willems
Music by Michael Silversher
Directed and Choreographed by Aileen McGroddy
For Ages 3+

Tickets start at $19 and are available online or through the Apollo Theater box office at 773-935-6100. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts ranging from 15-25%. Field trips for the 2017-2018 Student Matinee season are available for $9 per ticket. For more information visit emeraldcitytheatre.com.

The Apollo Theater is located at 2540 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Click HERE for box office hours and info, parking options, and directions.