It's Opening Day for Nashville Children's Theatre's GOODNIGHT MOON

Opening day is here: Everybody's favorite bedtime book is magically transformed into an imaginative, unforgettable theatrical experience as Goodnight Moon takes the stage at Nashville Children's Theatre April 13 through May 14.

Centered on the bedtime ritual of Bunny, Goodnight Moon takes audiences on a tour of the "Great Green Room" as Old Lady struggles to get Bunny into his bed and then go to sleep. With playful puppetry and a delightful score, Bunny explores his imagination, introducing audiences to a hundred delightful surprises including dancing bears playing musical chairs, the Tooth Fairy, a mischievous mouse, and a nervous cow jumping over the moon.

Written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, Goodnight Moon is one of the best-selling children's storybooks of all time. More than 60 million copies of the book have been sold since it was first published in 1947. It was adapted for the stage in 2006 by writer, composer, and lyricist Chad Henry into a sparkling, wonder-filled musical that elaborates on the original with style and wit, yet remains true to the simple, loving heart of the beloved book.

Previously presented in January 2011, the ensemble cast is comprised of NCT veterans and features Bobby Wyckoff as Bunny and Rona Carter as Old Lady. Also returning to the roles they first played six years ago are Amanda Card as Mouse, Shawn Knight as Sandman and Samuel Whited as the Tooth Fairy. The original production was conceived and directed by the late Scot Copeland. Company Stage Manager Dan Brewer oversees the remounting of this production.

Musical direction is by Shawn Knight with choreography by Rona Carter. Set design by Nashville Repertory Theatre's Gary Hoff; lighting design by Scott Leathers; costume design by Patricia Taber; and sound design is by Dan Brewer.

Special events during Goodnight Moon include Regions Bank Free Day on Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at www.NashvilleCT.org beginning at 9 a.m. on April 12.

On Sunday, April 23, show patrons can attend NCT's 18th Annual Grand Day Celebration. A full day of family fun, tickets are available for the performance, carnival, and a VIP Patron experience. Both performance and carnival are included with a $40 All-Access pass. VIP Patron levels start at $50 for youth/$150 for adults. Grand Day VIP Patrons will receive lunch in the VIP Patron Lounge, VIP-seating for the performance, unlimited access to carnival activities and snacks, and more!

School performances, weekdays at 10 and 11:45 a.m., are selling quickly. Weekend performances are open to the public, scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays, April 13 through May 14, and reservations are recommended. There is no Sunday performance on April 16. Individual weekend ticket prices are $15 per child (ages 2 to 17), $20 per adult; group, senior, educator, and military discounts are also available. A homeschool performance is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on April 8, and a sign-interpreted performance is scheduled for May 7 at 2:00 p.m.

A special evening performance is available Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at a discounted rate of $7 per child and $15 per adult.

A Sensory Friendly performance is available Saturday, May 6 at 11 a.m. This performance is open to the public and is designed to be a safe and accepting environment where children with disabilities and their typically developing peers are free to speak and move in reaction to the story being told onstage. For all performances, NCT provides a Comfort Room in the back of our theatre where audience members can always adjust both light and sound levels.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.NashvilleCT.org or by calling (615) 252-4675.

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