BWW Reviews: GOLDILOCKS AND THREE BEARS GIVES 'Oh SO GOOD' Music and Message

"Children's Theater" appears to be a misnomer--Instead, the name professional theater produced for children respects the work that First Stage presents in the First Step series for pre-schoolers. Goldilocks and the Three Bears opened this weekend at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, a musical creation by George Stiles paired with Anthony Drewe, the team of Mary Poppins fame, for the any and everyone hree and over. This utterly entertaining production represents the sophistication currently attached to professional theater for children, a delight for young and old to appreciate.

Matt Daniels, Marvette Knight and Thomas J. Novak head the adult cast dancing and singing their way thorough the familiar children's tale with a contemporary message. As. Mr. Locks, Daniels swings an axe and yells "Timber," which the young audience can do along with him during the performance, the louder the better. Mr. Locks chops the trees to make a way for the new road through the woods. Knight and Nowak create an affectionate Mama and Papa Bear who sing that in the woods, "Bears do what bears do," walk and eat porridge, and worry that the new road will ruin their forest home. A conflict Goldilocks encounters when she wanders away from her father working in the woods, and then eats Baby Bear's porridge, breaks his chair and sleeps in his bed.

Five young performers from the Itch Cast give Goldilocks a vibrant charm. A curly locked Madelyn Ballard complains "they all say I can't because I'm a girl," a song which begins when she wants to learn how to chop trees down. Claiming she's "tough and strong when a challenge comes along, " her father still says no, and she seeks refuge in the Three Bears' cottage.

A handsome Jack Trettin playing Baby Bear answers, "Whose been eating my porridge, sitting and my chair and still sleeping in my bed?" Three ensemble members dressed as birch trees, in white jeans, sweatshirts, and caps, create the forest along with moving props to make the fairy story come to life, in this cast, Laetitia Faye, Hannah Lispscomb and Oshionna Wright.

Thank costume designer Jason Orlenko for the fifties inspired skirts that twirl on the ladies, with a polka dot accent, or fur trimmed vests and skirts, that add considerably to this well crafted production. Scenic Designer Sarah Hunt Frank trims the cozy theater with clever border of branches and swirly leaves as a canopy to surrounds the tiny audience. Directed by Jennifer Adams, all these elements come together to fashion a tale that speaks to urbanization, deforestation, or Mr. Locks cutting down the trees. The story sings both sides in the song "What is the wood good for?" While Mr. Locks relates what lumber can be used for, homes, tables and chairs, the bears speak to what "the woods" are good for, air, animals, and recreation.

Watching children sit mesmerized for this slightly over an hour production can be oh, so good for the soul. These very young people represent the continuation of the arts, theater and the world. Beginning at such a tender age, perhaps if they hear these timely messages sung with heart in this entertaining medium they will listen, and reap the benefits by creating a new future that develops compromise instead of conflict along with courage instead of fear to explore different worlds and cultures, as Goldilocks does in this updated fairytale. A delightful song about making porridge reprises the all too soon ending, and sums up this professional, profound First Stage Goldilocks: "Oh, that's so good!"

First Stage presents their First Steps Series Stiles & Crewe's Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center through March 1. Photograph represents the Scratch Cast instead of the Itch Cast seen at this performance. Special performances for children on the Autism Spectrum available, and for information on performances or tickets pleae call: 414.267.2961 or visit: www.firststage.org

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