Knuffle Bunny: - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

2011–2012 Season
Illustration © 2004 Mo Willems
Knuffle Bunny:
a cautionary musical
Script and Lyrics by Mo Willems
“…spins a suds-related yarn with such wit and
sprightliness that you’re half-inclined to swing
by the nearest coin-operated front loader and
feed it all your quarters, just for the fun of it.”
Based on his book Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
Music by Michael Silversher
Directed by Rosemary Newcott
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
– The Washington Post

Knuffle Bunny:
a cautionary musical
If you’ve ever felt lost, then you’ll know just how Trixie’s
favorite stuffed Knuffle Bunny feels when he’s left all
alone. If you’ve ever felt loved, then you’ll know just
how Trixie, Knuffle Bunny, and their family feel when
they’re together. It sounds so simple, just a quick trip to
the Laundromat with Daddy, Trixie, and her beloved
Knuffle Bunny. But, before you know it things go horribly,
hilariously wrong. Chock full of adventure, song, and
gigantic dancing laundry, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary
Musical tells a tale of firsts: a stuffed animal’s first trip in
the laundry, a little girl’s first words, and a Daddy’s first
time dealing with his child going “boneless.” Based on
his beloved Caldecott Honor–winning picture book,
six-time Emmy Award winner Mo Willems joins Grammy
Award ® –winning composer Michael Silversher to lovingly
celebrate the heart and heartache that can only
come from a family visit to the local Laundromat. We
mentioned the giant dancing laundry, right?
“The emotional high point of the show …stays true to
the core conceit of the book–a pre-verbal toddler’s
maddening inability to articulate to Dad that they
have left her beloved bunny at the Laundromat.”
– Publishers Weekly
Illustration © 2004 Mo Willems
Meet the Creative teaM
MO WILLEMS Playwright
Mo Willems began his career as a writer and
animator for PBS’s Sesame Street, where he was
awarded 6 Emmy Awards for his writing, before
leaving to concentrate on books. The author and
illustrator of more than 30 books for children, many
of them New York Times bestsellers, Mo has garnered
three Caldecott Honors and two Geisel Medals for
his efforts. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical is his
first play. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his
family, where he avoids doing laundry at all costs.
MICHAEL SILVERSHER Composer
Michael Silversher won a Grammy Award ® for Elmo
in Grouchland and has three Emmy nominations. He
co-wrote the theme songs for the Disney television
series Tale Spin and Gummi Bears, and has more than
100 songs in the Disney catalogue. He’s worked
extensively with Jim Henson Productions, MGM,
Sony, Warner Bros., Kennedy Center, Los Angeles
Opera, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper
Forum, and Sundance Institute as musical director
of children’s theater and resident composer for the
Playwright’s Lab. His current projects include the
Henson/PBS Sprout series Pajanimals and the score
for Dinosaur Train on PBS.
ROSEMARY NEWCOTT Director
Rosemary Newcott is the Sally G. Tomlinson
Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families
at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre. She directs two
Theatre for Young Audiences productions, the annual
production of A Christmas Carol and the High School
Collision Project. Favorite Alliance productions are:
Middle School the Musical, Goodnight Moon, Seussical,
Einstein is a Dummy, The Music Lesson, and The
Hobbit. Rosemary is a recipient of the prestigious
Princess Grace Foundation Fellowship. She was
recognized as best director of the year in 2002 by the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2009, she received
The Princess Grace Special Projects award for her
work with André Benjamin’s Class of 3000 Live. She
is a proud new board member of Theatre for Young
Audiences/USA.
VISIT KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/KCTYAONTOUR
for more information on the tour, including Cuesheet
performance guides, production photos, and more!
Photo by Marty Umans
note froM
the Playwright
The idea of turning my picture book
Knuffle Bunny into a musical production
kind of snuck up on me, much like the
idea of making the book in the first place.
This little story of my pre-verbal daughter’s
desperate attempt to communicate that her favorite stuffed animal
was trapped in the laundry machine was, to me, just that: a story
to tell your pals. It took my editor and art director to convince me
that there was something hidden in that amusing little anecdote,
something worthwhile.
Frankly, it seemed like a terrible idea. But as I got into it, dug
deeper into the loamy earth of the story and felt around for the
“hows” and “whys” of the characters, I slowly discovered that
this slight tale was filled with opportunities and discoveries.
Eventually the book, whose roots clung to an actual event,
blossomed into a fable that celebrates the importance of
communication and explores how a young family’s most
frustrating hours can also be their most hilarious.
The whole project bloomed: a terrible idea that worked terribly
well. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale became a critical and
popular success. More importantly for me, it became a personal
touchstone for the sort of parent I hope to be—determined even if
I’m befuddled, concerned even if I’m exasperated, helpful even if
I’m hopeless.
Over the past few years, fans have occasionally asked if I planned
to turn the book into a stage show. “Yeah, right,” I would
reply flippantly, “You’d watch a musical starring a character
who can’t talk?”
But the sheer absurdity of that got me thinking (like a moth to
the flame, I am attracted to anything counterintuitive—I’ve been
known to do cartoons on the radio, for instance). Eventually I
came to the conclusion that staging a big, dramatic song, filled
with pathos, yet sung entirely in gibberish is such a crazy idea,
someone had to do it.
And when the fine folks at the Kennedy Center called up, it
seemed that the someone was going to be me. Not that I did it
alone. Everyone on Team Knuffle worked hard to create a show
that hopefully will inspire your empathy for the characters
on stage and, by extension, might help you empathize with
members of your own family (although mostly, we just want you
to have fun).
And if a musical about a pre-verbal kid, a useless dad, an
exhausted mom, malevolent laundry, and a giant dancing stuffed
bunny seems utterly ridiculous to you; you’re right.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mo Willems
www.mowillems.com
Michael John Casey as Dad. Photo by Carol Pratt
aBout the Kennedy Center’s
touring Progr aM
For the past 18 years, Kennedy Center Theater
for Young Audiences on Tour has been a
leader in bringing imaginative and original
theater productions to communities around the
nation. The tours begin with world premieres
at the Kennedy Center for Washington, DC
metropolitan area audiences before being
sent out on the road. The 2011–2012 season
continues our tradition of bringing engaging
stories, professional production values, and
talented casts that will thrill your audiences.
Erika Rose as Mom, Stephanie D’Abruzzo as Trixie, Michael John Casey as Dad. Photo by Carol Pratt
“Mo Willems… [is] a perfect partner for
the Kennedy Center’s first foray into theater
geared to the pre-school set and
their parents.”
– DC Theatre Scene

Knuffle Bunny:
a cautionary musical
Script and Lyrics by
Mo Willems
Based on his book
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
Music by
Michael Silversher
Directed by
Rosemary Newcott
A musical based on Mo Willems’s
Caldecott Honor–winning book!
It sounds so simple, just a quick trip to the Laundromat
with Daddy, Trixie, and her beloved Knuffle Bunny. But,
before you know it things go horribly, hilariously wrong.
Recommended for ages 4 and up, and grades Pre-K and up.
Curriculum connections include literature,
interpersonal relationships, problem solving,
and non-verbal communication.
Kennedy Center touring productions feature a
comprehensive package of educational programs and
materials designed to enhance the education values of
our productions for young people, teachers, and families,
including Cuesheet performance guides, ArtsEdge online
content, and post-performance question-and-answer
sessions with the company.
More at artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/
kc-connections/knuffle-bunny
Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by
The U.S. Department of Education and The President’s Advisory Committee
on the Arts.
The U. S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the
budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department. The contents of this
document do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department
of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal
Government.
BooKing inforMation
Kennedy Center Theater
for Young Audiences on Tour
PO Box 101510
Arlington, VA 22210
Telephone: (202) 416-8840
Fax: (202) 416-8876
Email: kctyaontour@kennedy-center.org
Website: kennedy-center.org/kctyaontour
GENERAL TECHNICAL GUIDELINES:
Illustration © 2004 Mo Willems
Kennedy Center Touring Personnel—5 actors
(2 male and 3 female) and 4 production staff. Union
Affiliation: Actors Equity Association, TYA contract.
Times—Load-in and tech: Minimum three and a half
hours (prior to half-hour call). Strike and load-out: 90
minutes.
Crew Needs—Six (6) general technicians for load-in
and -out. One (1) wardrobe person for all show calls as
well as for load-in and -out. Run Crew (3) total unless
union rules dictate otherwise.
Stage—Playing space minimum 30’ deep x 32’ wide x
20’ high, with a minimum 3’ upstage crossover.
Electrics—Minimum: 96 - 2.4K dimmers. Lights must
be hung, patched, colored and cues loaded (if applicable)
before load-in.
Loading/Access—Parking for (1) 26’ truck; parking
for (1) 15-passenger van.