(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Mile Square Theatre presents Bunnicula from April 13 through May 5. On a dark and stormy night, the Monroe family decides to go see a movie. Their pets Chester (the cat) and Harold (the dog) patiently await their return. When they finally come home, they come bearing a surprise: they have found a bunny in the movie theatre. However, this is no ordinary rabbit…this is the extraordinary Bunnicula!
When the family’s produce starts losing its juice, Chester thinks he knows what is causing the fantastic phenomenon: Bunnicula is a vampire who sucks the color out of the vegetables! Or maybe Chester’s imagination is getting the better of him. Singing and dancing their way through this hilarious mystery, the furry friends find room in their hearts, and in their home, for one very unique bunny.
“I encountered this extremely entertaining young audience play about 25 years ago when I was working with Seattle Children’s Theatre,” says MST Artistic Director Chris O’Connor. “It’s funny, engaging, entertaining, and wonderfully adapted from the well-known book by Deborah and James Howe. It’s another great example of theatre for young audiences that goes from the page to the stage. I love how plays like this ignite the imagination of young people and also get them enthusiastic about reading the source material. This will be a great show for school groups and for families looking for a rich family experience.”
Bunnicula brings back some recognizable artists to the MST stage. Joelle Zazz, who played Violet in MST’s recent It’s a Wonderful Life takes on the role of Chester, and Cameron Blankenship who played Rikki in The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi returns as Harold. Rachel Eddy, who delighted audiences as Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown plays Toby Monroe, and Andrew Baldwin (Core Values, 12th Night, Rikki Tikki Tavi) will employ his puppetry skills as Bunnicula.
The creative team includes resident scenic designer Jennifer Price Fick, costume designer Stefanie Genda, resident lighting designer Matthew J. Fick, resident scenic painter and prop designer by Emmett Grosland, and puppet designer Mary Gragen Rogers.
Bunnicula begins public performances on Saturday, April 13 and runs till Sunday, May 5. Weekday school performances begin Thursday, April 11. The play has an estimated run time of 1 hour and 20 minutes and is recommended for ages 5+.
Mile Square Theatre is located at 1400 Clinton Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. Performances are April 13 through May 5: Saturdays at 2:00pm and 5:00pm and Sundays at 11:00am and 3:00pm. Tickets are $15-30 and are available online.
Discount Parking available at The Harlow at 1330 Willow Avenue and at Little Man Parking at 1300 Jefferson Street.
COMPANY BIOS:
Andrew Baldwin MST: The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 12fth Night, A Year with Frog and Toad and Core Values. Other regional/national tour: Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical. New York credits: Scraps (The Flea), Romeo and Juliet (Columbia Stages), Dex!: A Killer Musical (FringeNYC), What We're Up Against, Bull (New Wave Theater Collective), Taming of the Cats (The Brick), O Walter, My Walter (COW Theatre), and 54: The Musical (Emerging Artists Theatre). Andrew's original short film Cockroaches just premiered at the Peekskill Film Festival. Training: BFA University of Miami.
Cameron Blankenship (Henry) is so happy to be back at the amazing MST! He was most recently seen playing the titular character in MST’s Rikki Tikki Tavi. Cameron has been working throughout New York City and regionally with companies such as The Lyric Repertory Company, The Zoot Theatre Company, The Peterborough Players, and King’s Island Entertainment. New York City: MST’s Rikki, Lightbulb with the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival, Heaven Is A Beer Commercial with Manhattan Repertory’s One Act Festival. Regional: Shakespeare Abridged, Big River, The Foreigner, Baskerville, Singin’ in the Rain, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Tempest, Faustus, Midsummer, Little Women. Cameron holds a BFA in Acting from Wright State University.
Lucas Brahme (Mr. Monroe) is excited to be making his Mile Square Theater debut as Mr. Monroe in this glorious production! Lucas is a Queens based actor and musician in New York City. Originally from San Diego, California, Lucas moved to New York 4 years ago and plans on never leaving. Since coming to New York he has found his family of crazies both at the Stella Adler Studio where he is a movement teacher and substitute instructor, and the rip roaring band of clowns at the Funny School of Good Acting. His stage credits include: Doc (Hangar Theatre), Captain Hook (Hangar Theatre), Scott (Manhattan Rep), Romeo (Daucus Carota), Red Ranger (Peoples Improv Theatre), Harlequino (Funny School of Good Acting).
Rachel Eddy (Toby) is thrilled to be back at MST! Past MST credits include Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and two 7th Inning Stretches. Other favorite credits include Zaneeta in The Music Man (Sharon Playhouse), industry readings of Where Angels Fear to Tread and Ben, Virginia, and Me, and touring with the Paper Bag Players’ original musical, That’s Quite Absurd. You can catch her in the upcoming season of Evil Lives Here, and in the new summer camp series, Happy Camper Live, set for release this April. Proud University of Miami alumnus.
Rebecca Muller (Mrs. Monroe) is a New York City based actor originally from Lincolnshire, IL. This is her second time at MST after being a part of this past year's 7th Inning Stretch. Other recent credits include the National Tour of The Berenstain Bears Live (Mama Bear/Asst. Dir), Rachel the Musical (Rachel Carson), Guys & Dolls (Miss Adelaide), 25th Annual...Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti). BFA Musical Theatre from the University of Miami. She would like to thank her friends and family, especially her parents, for their incredible love and support. Insta: @rebeccakmuller
Austin Nguyen (Pete) is so grateful to be joining the Mile Square Theater family in this production of Bunnicula. It just so happens that he loved to read the series as a kid! He trained at CAP 21, with the fabulous Jillian Carucci, for a degree in musical theater and has recently been continuing his training with the Barrow Group. Past productions include West Side Story and The Producers at Priscilla Beach Theater, as well as several on camera projects both in front and behind the camera. He’d like to thank the rest of the cast and creative team for the opportunity and support!
Joelle Zazz (Chester) is a proud NJ native and recent graduate of Kean University's Theatre BFA program. Other Mile Square Theatre Credits: It's a Wonderful Life (2018). NYC: 10th Anniversary Broadway Concert of A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical. Recent credits: Shakespeare in Love, and a Midsummer Night's Dream(Shakespeare Theatre of NJ); Black Tom Island, and Great Kills (Premiere Stages). Other favorites include American Idiot andGodspell (Hamilton Stages), Fancy Nancy: The Musical (as Fancy Nancy, Forum Theatre). Joelle is also a teaching artist and has done numerous residencies with various NJ theatres. Thanks to the fabulous team at MST and Mom and Dad.
Erin M. Collins (Stage Manager) is excited to be working on her first Mile Square main stage production! Her credits include: Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey: The Winter’s Tale, Buried Child, It’s a Wonderful Life. Two River Theater: The Hombres, Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally, Star-Crossed, 72 Miles to Go. Mile Square Theatre: 7th Inning Stretch2018. New Jersey Performing Arts Center: SLUT: The Play. Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. Cherry Lane Theatre: I Lost You There, The Bench.Surflight Theatre: Million Dollar Quartet, Hairspray, Disney's Newsies, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Footloose. Juniper Street Productions: Bandstand, Present Laughter, Come From Away, Sunset Boulevard, Nickelodeon's The Spongebob Musical. International Credits: 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. BFA in Stage Management from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.
Jillian Carucci (director) is a Hoboken-based theatre director with experience working off-Broadway and regionally at theatres such as McCarter Theatre Center, Atlantic Theater Acting School, The Hangar Theatre, Keen Company and HERE Arts Center . She is a recipient of the 2017 Drama League Directing Fellowship. Select directing: The Danube (The Hangar Theatre: Wedge), Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (The Hangar Theatre: KiddStuff), Identity (Tony-Award winner Alice Ripley’s solo show) Sources of Light... (WWTNS? at HERE Arts Center). Off-Broadway Assistant Directing: Hot Mess (The Jerry Orbach Theatre), Lonely Planet (Keen Company), Fable (NYMF). Teaching: Acting instructor at CAP21/Molloy College, McCarter Theatre Center and Premiere Stages. Alum of The Drama League Director's Project, SDCF Observership class. Founder: Tunnel Theatre, The Industry Studio. SDC Associate. Graduate of Westminster College of the Arts of Rider University. www.jilliancarucci.com
Chris O’Connor (Artistic Director, Director) Chris is Founding Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. In 2017, he received an Award of Excellence from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance for his leadership as Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. As an actor, Chris has performed in such theatres as Franklin Stage Company, Seattle’s A Contemporary Theatre, The Culture Project, Soho Rep, The Ahmanson, Gloucester Stage, Provisional Theatre of Los Angeles, The Bathhouse Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, City Theatre in Pittsburgh, where he originated the role of Peter in Craig Wright’s The Pavilion, and recently at Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Billy Elliot. Recent TV credits include Magic City and Burn Notice. He appears in the new indie thriller Depraved. Chris has directed over 25 productions at MST and has directed at theatres and universities all over America, most recently at Lyric Repertory in Logan, Utah, where he directed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. His recent work at Mile Square Theatre includes The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi, Betrayal, Circle Mirror Transformation and the world premiere of Long Gone Daddy by Joseph Gallo. He played Vanya in last season’s production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. He is an Assistant Professor on the Theatre Arts faculty at Molloy College. Chris holds a BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MFA from Rutgers University.
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