Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical – website
Location: Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
Phone: 773-935-6100
Dates and times: Through January 6, 2013. Dates and times vary – see the online schedule for details. There are shows on weekdays and weekends at 10:15 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm.
Admission: Tickets are $16.25-$36 including fees and are available for purchase online. A Family Flex Pass is available for $55 and includes four tickets that can be used in any combination for Emerald City Productions during the holiday season.
Parking: Metered street parking is available.
The Fullerton L stop (Red, Brown, & Purple lines) is only a short walk from the Apollo Theatre.
Bathrooms: The women’s bathroom has a changing table in the handicapped stall. The soap and paper towels are a bit out of reach for kids. There is no changing table in the men’s room.
Nursing: There is no designated nursing area.
Handicapped/stroller accessibility: The Apollo Theatre is upstairs and requires the assistance of an employee to use the handicapped lift. The women’s bathroom is handicapped accessible, but very narrow and would likely be difficult to maneuver. The men’s room is not accessible but has a sign indicating that an employee can assist patrons in gaining access to an accessible bathroom. Handicapped accessible tickets can ONLY be purchased from the box office at 773-935-6100.
Other amenities: Books and souvenirs are available for purchase in the lobby. Each show has a pre-show craft and the actors are available after the show for photos and autographs. Birthday party packages and group rates are available. There are two different programs – one for adults and another for kids. The program for kids includes activities for them to do after the show.
Special events: Saturday, December 8th is Girl Scout Day. Girls Scouts who attend the 1:00 pm show will meet the actors, do a special activity, and receive a Emerald City patch.
We paid: We received complimentary tickets to attend the show. Our tickets would have been approximately $72.
Our experience:
I took the boys to see Knuffle Bunny on a weekday morning. Knuffle Bunny is a book we have read at home so the boys were familiar with the story. For those who aren’t familiar with Knuffle Bunny, Trixie is a toddler who accompanies her father to the laundromat, leaves her beloved stuffed animal (Knuffle Bunny) there, and then struggles to tell her dad on the way home. Unfortunately, because Trixie can only talk in baby talk, her dad doesn’t understand.
As with each of the Emerald City Theatre shows we’ve attended, we received two types of programs on our way in – one designed for adults and the other for children – and the actors took full advantage of the theatre, entering from different doors and using the stairs in the audience.
The boys were engaged from the time the show started. They smiled and giggled as Trixie babbled and the characters performed song and dance numbers.
Some highlights of the show are when Trixie does a very impressive song made up entirely of made up words and sounds, and when Trixie’s dad goes into the washing machine and dances among giant clothing items in search of Knuffle Bunny. They also loved when Knuffle Bunny came to life and danced with Trixie.
Because we attended a weekday show, there was a question and answer session after the show ended. The actors took questions from the kids in the audience and answered things like, “How did Knuffle Bunny come to life?” and “How long did you practice for the show?”
The Emerald City Theatre did a great job with Knuffle Bunny and the boys and I enjoyed the show a lot.
I received complimentary tickets for me and the boys to see Knuffle Bunny. All opinions expressed are my own.
