I am fully aware that this article is a review of a children's theater show, but I write about comedy, and funny is funny gosh darn it!
This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Playhouse on Park's children's theater production of If You Give a Mouse of Cookie directed by my cousin Dawn Loveland. So, yes, this review is a bit biased. But really, how biased could I be about a show intended for children aged three to five?
Indeed this is the second time that I've attended a show at Playhouse on Park this season, the first being Sondheim's Side by Side, and one thing is for sure: the production and professionalism by the cast and crew at Playhouse is stellar.
The play does exactly what you'd think it would; the story is about a single afternoon in which a boy's mother has left him home alone. He encounters an overly energetic mouse, who wants a cookie. Upon receiving a cookie, the mouse requests a glass of milk, and chaos ensues from there. The play has been adapted to the stage by Laura Joffe Numeroff and does a great job of paying homage to the beloved children's story, while adding enough substance to sustain the attention of a three-to-five year old audience for nearly an hour.
Kevin Barlowski, as The Boy, and Rick Fountain, as The Mouse, do a tremendous job capturing the innocence of childhood and the chaos that every young child wants to see in a live performance. Fountain is a revelation as The Mouse, proving that sometimes "professional" means digging down deep and recovering some of that childhood perspective. Barlowski as The Boy is perfect in setting up every outrageous antic for Fountain to deliver. As a team, they are unstoppable. And don't miss out on the chance for your kids to have a meet and greet with The Boy and The Mouse following the performance!
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is packed with laughs from start to finish. Parents will delight that this is a rare children's event that you won't find yourself rolling your eyes at the entire show. No, I wouldn't recommend an adult sans children going to see it on his/her own, but if you've got little ones to take, you'll laugh right along with them. Having said that, I was there without children of my own, and I still enjoyed it - so there! All in all, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is thoroughly enjoyable.
Catch it Wednesday October 27 at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm, Saturday Oct 30 at 1:00 and 4:00 pm, and Sunday Oct 31 at 1:00 pm.
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