HANNA AND THE MOONLIT DRESS Lights Up The Berman

Hanna and the Moonlit Dress is an interactive new musical about the magic of a good deed, based on the classic Israeli tale Hanna's Sabbath Dress. The time-honored tale will be brought to life at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts at noon and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18, 2018.

Hanna and the Moonlit Dress by Itzhak Schweiger-Dmi'el, and adapted for the stage by Ronit Muszkatblit and Yoav Gal, is a wonderful story where Hanna - overjoyed with her new dress - runs to show it to her friends: Zuzi the dog and Edna the cow. Little does she know what a meaningful adventure awaits.

In this immersive experience with beautiful special effects, music, and design by award-winning artist Yoav Gal, children in attendance will help to create Hanna's enchanted world by crafting paper masks, costumes, and set pieces with the actors. The show is 50 minutes with no intermission and recommended for children ages 2-8.

"Above all, it's a day for the family to be together," said Ronit Muszkatblit, Director of Hanna and the Moonlit Dress and Artistic Director of the 14th Street Y. "We want the children to understand the importance of good deeds and to learn that if you put out positive energy or a positive action, something good will come back to you. It's a simple story," he explains.

The cast features actors Case Watson as Hanna, Kate Mulberry as the Mother, and Matt Webster as Zuzzi the Dog and the Coalman, under the music direction of Peter Hodgson.

Hanna's Sabbath Dress is a classic Israeli folk tale and a staple in Israeli culture. The original story, Hanal'e Ve Ha Simlat Shel Shabbat (Hanna's Shabbat Dress) was first published in Hebrew in the 1930s in the pages of Davar, which was the first workers' newspaper in Palestine during the British Mandate. It captured a new generation of American readers in the 1990s, when it was translated into English and illustrated by Ora Eitan; it is now one of the books given to children through the PJ Library program in hundreds of Jewish communities nationwide.

Written in the pioneering days of the State, it reflects a time of idealism and hopefulness. Hanna and the Moonlit Dress brings this magical tale to America for the first time, and will include the first English translations of classic Hebrew songs written for an Israeli TV special about the book. This is a chance to experience Israeli culture, together, in a positive, beautiful way.

Hanna and the Moonlit Dress performs at The Berman at 12 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18. To purchase tickets, please visit theberman.org or call 248.661.1900 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Groups of 10 or more, please call or email theberman@jccdet.org.

Download The Berman app, which is available at iTunes and Google Play. The Berman app features the latest news and information on the theater and its performances, the ability to purchase tickets, and the option to receive personalized notifications.

The Berman Center for the Performing Arts is located at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building | Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus at 6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield, MI 48322.
About The Berman: The Berman Center for the Performing Arts is a beautiful, 600 seat state-of-the-art venue. The Berman showcases an eclectic variety of world-class entertainment for all audiences of Metro Detroit while showcasing the Jewish Community Center's exceptional events.