Cows that type? Animals on strike? 20,000 tickets given away for FREE? Sounds crazy, no? But that’s exactly what Theatreworks USA has been doing all summer long at The Lucille Lortel Theatre. 

Based on the eponymous award-winning picture book, the new musical Click, Clack, Moo plays like a prepubescent Animal Farm. Sick and tired of substandard working conditions, a bunch of mad cows stand up to the man… er… Farmer… and go on strike, meanwhile entering into an uneasy alliance with the chickens. With no milk or eggs to sell, the farm’s future is in jeopardy until all parties tunefully agree to a compromise. Yup, it’s a children’s musical about labor negotiations – an udderly delightful, hilarious, slightly subversive hour of pure fun. Borrow a child if you must (you'll thank them later), but chances are good that you'll enjoy the show at least as much as your kid.

Like all great family entertainment, Click, Clack, Moo succeeds on multiple levels. Kids enjoy the great tunes (composed by Brad Alexander) and broad humor (including the very funny choreography by The Toxic Avenger’s Wendy Seyb), while grown-ups appreciate the excellent performances from the dedicated cast, as well as the high level of craft from the writing. I particularly loved Altar Boyz scribe Kevin Del Aguila’s witty lyrics: “I’m proud to be bovine; God bless the USDA.”

And did I mention that the show is free? Since 1989, Theatreworks USA has given away thousands and thousands of tickets to its annual Free Summer Theatre productions. Click, Clack, Moo’s unorthodox performance schedule, heavy on the weekday matinees, caters to the core audience: kids from social service groups, summer schools, and camps, many of whom are from low-income neighborhoods throughout the New York City area. In addition, a good number of tickets to each performance are set aside for the general public on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the show. (You can't reserve tickets in advance.)

“I think every kid should have the opportunity to experience the theatre,” says Theatreworks USA Artistic Director Barbara Pasternack. “In the same way that we nurture the art form of theatre, we also have to nurture the audience. And even though the economy’s rough, we don’t want to give up on Free Summer Theatre.” To that end, the annual program is made possible through foundations, corporations and individual support.

Pasternack adds that many groups attending Free Summer Theatre consider it the highlight of their year. Actor Drew McVety, seen on Broadway in Sunday in the Park with George and Off-Broadway in Lone Star Love and Corpus Christi, concurs. “This morning a kid in the second row burst into tears.” McVety finds the experience of performing for young audiences “grueling but rewarding.” As a bonus, this is the first time his young son has been able to see his dad onstage. Similarly, helmer John Rando (The Toxic Avenger, Tony Award-winner for Urinetown) replied to Pasternack’s e-mail offer to direct the show within three minutes: “Count me in – it’s my kid’s favorite book!”

After Click, Clack, Moo wraps up its Off-Broadway run on August 28, the show will be recast and launch its national tour, joining Theatreworks’ other critically-acclaimed Lortel-nominated shows as Seussical, Junie B. Jones, Henry & Mudge, and many more on the road.

In 2008-2009, over three million kids in 46 states and over 1,000 cities nationwide got their first taste of live theatre via a Theatreworks USA show, often as a part of a field trip excursion. The national tour tickets aren’t free (though Theatreworks does have a subsidized ticket program), but the company believes in making theatre accessible to all, and has ensured that no schooltime tickets cost more than $10. That’s definitely worth a standing ovation.

For more information on Click, Clack, Moo and Theatreworks’ activities, visit www.TWUSA.org.