HARE-RAISING FAMILY FUN: Mile Square Theatre Presents the Endearing Tale of “Bunnicula” — REVIEW

(ABOVE: Andrew Baldwin, Cameron Blankenship, and Joelle Zazz in Mile Square Theatre’s production of Bunnicula. Photos by David White Studio)

It’s a few days after Easter, which means bunnies are trending right now…

Mile Square Theatre (MST) obviously knows how to play the algorithms, as they present the quirky yet captivating Bunnicula by Jon Klein, with music by Chris Jeffries, and directed by Jillian Carucci. This strange bunny tale is adapted from the well-known books by Deborah and James Howe, and brought to life through engaging performances by Joelle Zazz, Cameron Blankenship, Rachel Eddy, Lucas Brahme, Rebecca Muller, Austin Nguyen, and Andrew Baldwin—who employs his puppetry skills as the title character.

This is MST’s second foray into the vampire genre—targeting a slightly younger demographic than their heart-pounding 2016 production of “Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker.”

Bunnicula (bunny/Dracula = Bunnicula) is aimed at an audience aged 5 and older, with fun musical numbers and colorful characters—including a cat, a dog, two kids, two parents and a life-sucking bunny rabbit.

The balance between the cat and the dog is upset upon the arrival of a rabbit in the Monroe home. Turns out, this bunny is no ordinary rabbit, as it has a bloodthirst for the nutritious veggies in the Monroe family fridge. While Chester (the cat) and Harold (the dog) try to catch the vampire bunny in the act, they sometimes bite off more than they can chew.

The theatre full of kids was on the edge of its collective seat as the hilarious “drama” played out, with ooohs and aaahs from the audience in response to the special effects and plot twists on stage. While the kids loved the animals, the parents identified with the no-nonsense Mrs. Monroe (played by Rebecca Muller) and some pretty solid Dad jokes delivered by Lucas Brahme.

Putting the fur in nosferatu, Bunnicula is fun for the entire family. If your idea of a good time is a great story with singing pets, hematophagic bunny rabbits and a full-on asparagus spear fight, then Mile Square Theatre has the production for you!

Running now through May 5th—CLICK HERE for ticket information…

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