'Bunnicula' entertains and educates

OREM — The Monroe family has a great, new pet, and not since Harvey (an invisible 6-foot rabbit in an award-winning 1950s comedy) has there been such an elusive and mysterious rabbit as Bunnicula.

Not only is Bunnicula no ordinary rabbit, he may be related to Dracula himself.

In fact, when the Monroe's vegetables start losing their juice, and there are suspicious teeth marks in the carrots, Chester the cat is convinced that's exactly what Bunnicula is — a vampire.

This hairy-scary whodunit is perfect for the Halloween season and the furry friends find that, despite their initial misgivings, they have room in their hearts for one very unique bunny.

"Bunnicula," created by James and Deborah Howe, hit the bookshelves in 1979.

Since that time there have been five sequels and several spin-off stories. Other Bunnicula stories include: "The Celery Stalks at Midnight," "Howliday Inn," "Nighty-Nightmare," "Bunnicula Strikes Again," and the newly released "Return to Howliday Inn."

"I read Bunnicula when I was a kid," said the show's director Jeremy Showgren. "I just bought it again to refresh my memory."

SCERA Artistic Director David Whitlock promises "Bunnicula" won't be a boring hour for children. The Monroe house is designed like an old mansion with lots of surprises, similar to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

"The magic of Bunnicula will be in the movement, lighting and special effects," he said.

"We've tried to give everything a really fast pace, bigger, better, eye-candy that kids can look at and say 'that's so fun!' " Showgren added. "We've put in a lot of little things to catch kids' attention."

Not to let the rabbit out of the bag, but Bunnicula himself is bigger than life.

He is a puppet that stands more than 4-feet-tall who will be manipulated on stage by puppeteer Jennifer Heaps.

The rest of the ensemble features a cast of adult actors including: Christy Allen as Chester; Fred Lee as Harold; Jason Evans and Laurel Barham as Mr. and Mrs. Monroe; Tommy Rose and Adam W. Slee as Pete and Toby Monroe. Julane Walker is the understudy for Mrs. Monroe.

"This show is timeless. The setting is not important. Everything in the show is modern. That's what's fun with it," Whitlock said.

"Kids from preschool age through junior high will love this show, said SCERA CEO Adam Robertson. "It's a perfect way to celebrate Halloween month with your entire family without having to worry about young children being scared. Bunnicula is all about fun."

"Bunnicula" comes to the SCERA Center stage as part of SCERA's new "Theatre for Young Audiences" program, a program designed to introduce young people to live theater through musicals based on children's literature.