Review: LOVABYE DRAGON is a Lovable Adventure for Littles at FIRST STAGE

Once there was a girl, an all-alone girl, who didn’t have a dragon for a friend. But all of that is about to change in First Stage’s Lovabye Dragon, an enchanting musical adventure on stage through February 15th at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. The play, lovingly directed by Marion Frank for First Stage, is inspired by the book of the same name by Wisconsin’s own Barbara Joosse. It’s a charming fairytale, one of unexpected friendships and not being underestimated. I had the pleasure of seeing the Magic Cast.

The play begins with the Girl (Lainey Techtmann), a princess wishing for a real-life dragon on her birthday. Overly anxious and prone to panic attacks, the King and Queen (Jesse Weinberg and Bree Beelow, respectively) quickly put their baby girl in a corner, imploring her to sit gently on her tuffet, so as to not hurt herself or make a mess in the castle. The Girl’s dragon dreams are quickly dashed. So she cries silver tears that stream all the way to a dragon in his cave. He follows them to meet the Girl—and their adventure kicks off.

Lovabye Dragon is a sheer delight, for a few reasons. First, the puppetry (Puppet Designer Brandon Kirkham) is full-on fantastic. The dragon is puppeted by three performers—head, middle, and tail—who bring marvelous life to this creature. With characterful expressions and an eagerly wagging tail, the dragon is basically one big golden retriever. Kids love him. The feisty, Viking-esque hand puppets are also a hoot.

Another delightful element: music and lyrics by The Happy Racers. The sound blends fun toe-tappers and emotional moments for a score that’s super catchy and sweet. All of the performers nailed it, particularly Techtmann as the Girl. As far as young performers are concerned, she’s always been one to watch in the Milwaukee theater scene—and this time is no different. Techtmann totally lights up the stage. 

Rounding out the cast is another delight: Christopher Feierseisen as the Troubadour. He’s a wonderful storyteller, ushering the audience through this grand adventure. He even gets to play the Man in the Moon, complete with a goofy voice and the perfect amount of cheese. Kudos to Feierseisen for the joy and energy he brings as a narrator. And kudos to the whole production team for engaging with young audience members so expertly.

On a personal note, I had my two-year-old daughter in tow for this performance—her first experience with live theater in a more-formal environment. She was hesitant upon entering the space. But once we settled in (on kid-friendly carpet squares) and the lights dimmed, she was transfixed. A little wiggly toward the end, but First Stage does a remarkable job of keeping a kid’s attention. At 50 minutes, no intermission, Lovabye Dragon proved perfect for ages 3 to 8. My daughter has been talking about dragons and “see a play” on and off this past week—proof that it made an impact and stuck in her imagination. I’m thrilled that this was her first-ever First Stage play—the first of many more.

Mac Heinrich (center) and cast in Lovabye Dragon. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.