I have to admit I am torn on this one between Awww and Oh Hell Naw: "Goodnight Moon: The Musical. "
On the one hand, awww. It's such a sweet book, and yes it can drive you up the wall when your little one says "Read again?" for the fourth time in a row. But the simple rhymes and gentle look of the illustrations are soothing to tired babies and exhausted parents alike –and have been working their magic for 60 years. Plus, you can totally zone out and think about how you're only minutes from blessed bedtime freedom when you read it because after about the 10th time you’ve got the thing memorized (oh, don’t look at me like that, you know you've done it).
On the other, a musical? Really? The book: 125 words, total (this post is longer). The musical: An hour and fifteen minutes. And apparently the red balloon has gas. Helium. Sigh.
Playwright Chad Henry said he wanted to stay true to the "whimsical and strange" character of the book. Apparently the mittens and socks do a softshoe and the rabbit and the little white mouse that creeps around the room are best friends.
If you want to check it out, it's at the Manhattan Children's Theatre through Dec. 9. http://www.mctny.org/
