CHILDREN’S THEATER REVIEW : Rodents Are First-Rat in ‘Pied Piper’

In its production of “The Pied Piper,” Orange County Children’s Theatre gives us a baker’s dozen of the most adorable rats ever to raid a pantry. Kill them? Shoot, it’s tough not to hug them.

OCCT’s “Pied Piper,” directed by Diane Christensen, plays with a light touch that makes the show suitable for preschoolers and up (Gena Strelow’s imaginative costumes don’t hurt) but still manages to retain some of the darker elements of the story.

Anyone familiar with this tale will recall that Hamelin’s rats are not welcomed with hugs by the townsfolk. An adaptation of Robert Browning’s poem “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” (which was inspired by a German folk tale from the Middle Ages), “The Pied Piper” takes place in a village that’s doubly cursed by an overabundance of rats and a completely inept City Council.

Things turn from bad to worse when a mysterious stranger wearing a multicolored (or pied) cloak arrives and strikes a bargain: for a thousand guilders, he’ll lure the varmints to the river and drown them. Everything goes swimmingly (except, of course, for the rats), until the mayor reneges on the deal. Piqued, the piper chooses an even dearer currency and leads the children of the town to a mountain hideaway.

By and large, the 40-member cast, ranging in age from 8 to 16, put in admirable performances, despite the inconveniences of an outdoor setting. At Thursday’s opening performance, helicopter noise drowned out dialogue on at least two occasions, and sound cues were sometimes less than prompt.

Strongest in the cast was 16-year-old Luis Reyes as the piper. Reyes has a confident delivery, but his vocal numbers (again, hampered by a glitch in the sound system) could use a little help. As the mayor and his two oily councilmen, teen-agers Gordon Taylor, Bill Waddington and Russell Ruffino embody all the second-rate politicians you’ve ever met. Spencer Daniels, 10, and Sara Bales, 11, are sweet as Alisa and Peter.

Some of the best comic bits in the show come from the five village girls--Isabelle Antongiorgi, Kristine Arnold, Cindy Caldwell, Julie Reyes and Lacy Sanchez--whose swooning over the handsome piper rivals that of any bevy of mall-rats.

“The Pied Piper” is the second of three children’s theater productions staged this year by OCCT.

‘The Pied Piper’

An Orange County Children’s Theatre production. Directed by Diane Christensen. With Luis Reyes, Spencer Daniels, Kelly Trenary, Sara Bales, Gordon Taylor, Patricia Nelson, Bill Waddington, Russell Ruffino. Musical direction by Paul Herman. Costumes by Gena Strelow. Sets by Rob Hough. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 2 p.m.; Saturday at 1 and 5 p.m. at Heritage Park, adjacent to the Fountain Valley Public Library (17565 Los Alamos St.). Tickets: $3 to $7. (714) 962-8344.