STAGE REVIEW : Bert, Ernie and Friends Go to a Rollicking ‘School’

There’s trouble with truants on Sesame Street.

When a couple of monsters play hooky from school, audience members are invited to take their place in “Let’s Play School,” a 90-minute extravaganza for the sandbox set.

One of four “Sesame Street Live” road shows currently on tour, it’s a rowdy, high-volume, Vegas-style concoction of bouncy characters and sing-along pop tunes set off with a few simple but splashy special effects.

Led by Professor Grover, roll call is tunefully carried out in one of the show’s catchiest songs, “Whatta Whatta Name Game.” Choreography here, and in most numbers, is surprisingly tight given the bulkiness of the costumes.

Show-and-tell’s up next, and everybody has something to share except Big Bird, who deftly persuades the prof to put it off until he can come up with something.

In the reading lesson, a lively rendition of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” costumes are at their most imaginative, with a couple of high-stepping ears of corn and brightly colored dancing haystacks among Mac’s possessions.

After recess (a.k.a. intermission), crossing guards Ernie and Bert teach safety to the tune of “Willie and the Hand Jive.” Count Von Count conducts a math lesson with some of the show’s best technical tricks. Ernie, Bert and the Count, decked out in Blues Brothers shades and fedoras, wrap it up with a bilingual counting exercise.

After much ado, and some gentle advice from the divine Miss Dawn, Big Bird finally decides what treasure to share at show-and-tell.

* “Sesame Street Live!” Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena today-Sunday; Long Beach Sports Arena, May 16-19. Curtain: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1:30 and 5 p.m. (213) 480-3232; (714) 740-2000. Ends May 19. $6.50-$10.50.