Get ready to do the Bedtime Dance when “Llama Llama Live!” — a new musical by Bay Area Children’s Theatre (BACT). The show comes to the Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Dr., Sunnyvale on Saturday, July 27.
This world premiere, inspired by the bestselling Llama, Llama Red Pajama series of picture books by the late Anna Dewdney, plays weekends Saturday, July 27, through Sunday, Aug. 4, with performances at 10:30 a.m., I p.m. and 4 p.m.
Llama bursts into his bedroom looking frantically for his favorite red pajamas, with help from his toys. Mama comes upstairs, with his pajamas in the laundry basket, to ask about his day — his very first day at school — and to put him to bed. But when she goes downstairs to do the million things that busy mothers do at the end of the day, Llama is too wiggly to fall asleep, and besides, he’s thirsty. He howls for Mama to come back up, but she doesn’t arrive. Will she ever return?
“What’s amazing about the Llama Llama books,” said Director Marty Johnson, “is that they are telling a story about a normal child who is going through scary moments about growing up and has to learn how to take care of himself in the simplest ways to feel safe, comfortable and become a little bit more independent.
“What we’re doing with this musical is to bring to life some of those situations, as Llama learns that, if he’s a bit anxious, he can calm down and not have a total mental breakdown at this very moment,” continued Johnson. “Llama is already living in an imaginary world, but sometimes that scary shadow is just an old towel and a baseball bat left on the floor. We’re just helping him deal with the choices he has made.”
Award-winning playwright-composer-lyricist Austin Zumbro (“Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site the Musical”) has written an array of clever tunes in a variety of styles to create a fun-filled, contemporary musical that expresses the imagination of childhood for both children and adults to enjoy, including a song about the history of sleepwear through the ages.
The musical features Kris Anthony Williams, who recently played the Red Dot in BACT’s “Press Here, the Musical,” as the kindergarten-age Llama and Sheila Townsend, who played the Greek goddess Hestia in BACT’s “Gold: the Midas Musical,” as Llama’s Mama.
Families are invited to join in the fun at this high-spirited musical for ages 3 and up — and, yes, it’s ok to wear your favorite pajamas to the show. Tickets at $18 – $30 and can be purchased through the box office at www.bactheatre.org or call (510) 296-4433.