Alliance Theatre to Present 'KNUFFLE BUNNY,' 5/27-6/21

Atlanta's nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre will present Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical. Based on the beloved children's book by Mo Willems, Knuffle Bunny comes to life in this funny, heart-warming, one-act production, May 27 - June 21, 2015.

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the Laundromat. But the adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind. Using live actors and beautiful projections that mirror the photography in the book, this play tells a true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy's in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong.

Mo Willems has created more than 40 books for children and won numerous literary awards, including three Caldecott Honors. The musical adaptation of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical had its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. under the direction of the Rosemary Newcott, Alliance Theatre's Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families, who helms this production as well.

In conjunction with this production, the High Museum of Art at the Woodruff Arts Center, of which the Alliance is also an arts partner, will present "Seriously Silly: A Decade of Art and Whimsy by Mo Willems" (May 23, 2015 - Jan. 10, 2016), a retrospective of illustrations by the best-selling artist and author. "Seriously Silly" features more than 100 works by the artist-from preliminary drawings to completed illustrations-that chronicle the past 12 years of Willems' whimsical world, populated by his beloved characters Knuffle Bunny, Elephant and Piggie, the Pigeon, and many more.

This collaboration marks the first time the Alliance Theatre and High Museum of Art will present concurrent visual and performing art presentations of work by the same artist. The project is made possible through a grant to the Woodruff Arts Center from the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation to expand programming and increase access for family audiences. Also, as part of the Collaboration with the High and programming made possible through the grant, the Alliance Theatre will present the new Theatre for the Very Young production Play the Play with Cat the Cat, based on the Willems book series, during the fall of 2015. Theatre for the Very Young is developed for children 18 months - 5 years old.

"This opportunity to work with our colleagues at the High and produce a Mo Willems play while the Museum is presenting a retrospective of his work is thrilling and the type of large scale collaboration that can deeply impact our community," said Christopher Moses, Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director for the Alliance Theatre. "Mo's inventive storytelling and art work provide the perfect opportunity to capture the imagination of the entire city; I can't wait for May."

Performances for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical are Wednesdays, 11:45 am; Thursdays & Fridays, 10:00 & 11:45 am; and Saturdays & Sundays, 1:00 & 3:30 pm (except for performances on Friday, May 29, which will be at 7:00 pm only, and Friday, June 5, which will be at 5:00 pm only). There will be no performance on Wednesday, June 3.

Combo tickets for the Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical and admission to the High Museum of Art for "Seriously Silly: A Decade of Art and Whimsy by Mo Willems" are $20 for adults and $10 for children. Children 5 and under are free at the theatre and the museum thanks to the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation grant. Combo tickets are only available by calling the Woodruff Arts Center box office - 404.733.5000.

Individual tickets for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical are $15 for adults, $8 for children 6 - 17, and free for children 5 and under. Tickets for Knuffle Bunny are available at The Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, by calling 404.733.5000, or online at www.alliancetheatre.org/knufflebunny. Discount rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404.733.4690. Discount rates are also available for members of the military, seniors, and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at The Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, at the corner of Peachtree and 15th Street, in Midtown Atlanta.