With book and lyrics by Mark St. Germain and music and lyrics by Randy Courts, The Book of the Dun Cow is "set in a time when the sun turned round the earth and animals could speak" and is billed as "a powerful, uplifting new musical adapted from Walter Wangerin Jr.'s National Book Award Winning Novel."

In it, Chauntecleer, a rooster, battles the evil forces of Wyrm "for nothing less than the fate of the earth." The family-friendly show is directed by Prospect Theater Company's producing artistic director Cara Reichel, with choreography by Jessica Hendricks.

Performances play to Feb. 26 at The West End Theatre in the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew (263 W. 86th Street at Broadway).

The cast includes Brian Munn as Chauntecleer, Micah Bucey as Cockatrice, Alexander Elisa as Lord Russel and Wyrm, David Foley, Jr. as Mundo Cani, Carol Hickey as Beryl and Dun Cow, Vanessa June Marshall as Pertelote, Bo Ranney as Tick Tock and Nimbus, with Suzanne Houston, Amy Hutchins, Jesse Kearney, Thadd Krueger, Susan Maris, Jessica Ordman, Robby Sharpe, David Stallings and Esther Triggs. Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum narrates.

The creative team includes set designer Paulo Seixus, costume designer David Withrow, lighting designer Stacey Boggs and sound designer Sara Bader. According to author Wangerin, "St. Germain and Courts have created a musical play astonishing in its range: fast and delightful, then contemplative, reaching deep into the human condition. Here is motherwit and a marvelous story and music I cannot, cannot forget."

Mark St. Germain (book writer, lyricist) and Randy Courts (composer, lyricist) have written the musicals The Gifts of the Magi, Johnny Pye and the Foolkiller, Joseph and Mary, Jack's Holiday and The Gingerbread House. They also contributed songs to the revue, A…My Name is Still Alice and to Cass Morgan's True Home.

Mark St. Germain has written the plays Camping with Henry and Tom, Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap, Forgiving Typhoid Mary, Ears on a Beatle and The God Committee, which will be seen Off-Broadway in 2006.

Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM with matinees Sundays at 3 PM. There are additional performances on Monday Feb. 6 and Wednesday Feb. 22 at 8 PM. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $12 for students. For information, contact Theatermania at (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com.

For more information, visit www.prospecttheater.org.