CHILDREN’S THEATER REVIEW : ‘Gift Rap’ Still Makes a Pleasing Package : The rockin’ and rappin’ show that originated at SCR gets an excellent cast, if a less-than-ideal-staging, at the Victory Theatre in Burbank.

What would you ask for if you were offered the perfect gift? Three young people think they know, but instead they learn what giving is all about in the dynamic Richard Hellesen/Michael Silversher show “Gift Rap.”

The rockin’ and rappin’ children’s musical originated at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, and it opened the Encino Playhouse season last year. Now it’s back to open the new Young People’s Theatre series at the Victory Theatre in Burbank.

It’s a worthy start, even in a less-than-ideal staging.

Part of it is the small space--it’s a tight fit for the show’s Epic Mall setting. The giant gift-wrapped box of set designer Dwight Richard Odle that unfolds and expands to create various scene changes loses some of its magic in close quarters.

In addition, both choreographer Nancy Benun and director Stephanie Angelini are tentative, overly conscious of the tight boundaries.

But Fullerton playwright Hellesen (whose “Once in Arden” was presented at SCR’s Mainstage and whose “Moonshadow” was on the Second Stage) and Disney composer Silversher have written a winner. And with a cast that’s mostly on the money, this bright mix of message and whimsy comes through.

Standout Sharon Thompson, with her full, melodic voice and assured stage presence, reprises her role from the Encino production. She plays the mysterious Rapper who guides the young people in their quest for the perfect gift. Liz Hewitt is another welcome Encino returnee. She scores high marks as greedy Vera, who’s eager to acquire her 42nd Boopsie doll.

The two male leads, David J. McGee and G.K. Holderer, are new to the show. Holderer, as bookworm Chuck, is personable and moves well, but he struggles with the songs--the high notes elude him. As for McGee, if he could add some pizazz to his dancing, he’d be terrific. He reveals the poignancy in loner Dave, and his expressive voice is surprisingly strong.

Overall, this “Gift” pleases.

* “Gift Rap,” Victory Theatre, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, Saturday-Sunday matinees, 1 p.m. Ends Sept. 29. $7. (818) 841-4404. Running time: 50 minutes.

Nibble, Nibble: A 12-foot-high refrigerator? An 8-foot-tall mop? Audiences might blink a few times when they see the Serendipity Theatre Company production of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” opening Sept. 13 at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles.

This humorous two-character story, adapted from Laura Joffe Numeroff’s popular children’s book about a boy and a mouse, posed a special challenge for set designer Lyle Brooks.

“Everything is over-scale. You have to let your imagination go,” Brooks said. Since the boy will be played by a 6-foot-plus adult, and the mouse is a 4-foot, 7-inch teen-ager, Brooks had to create many oversized items such as a giant drinking glass and straw, giant pencils and “a three-foot-tall can of Ajax cleanser.” It’s not easy. “The larger you make something,” he said, “the less you can get away with. You can’t have a giant olive with a great big seam in it; it’s a matter of suspending disbelief for audiences.”

Another innovation, said executive director Jody Davidson, formerly of Laguna Youth Playhouse, will be the mouse’s computerized headpiece, created by Long Beach-based animatronics designers Kim Hayes and Debbie Hayes.

The intent, Davidson said, is to make the characters “as much like the book’s illustrations as possible.”

Numeroff, for her part, is “really excited” about her book’s stage debut. “I’m going to get a kick out of seeing the title on the marquee,” she said.

Will she see the play?

“I’m going to be there every weekend.”