THEATER REVIEW : Musical ‘Ransom’ Has Payoff of Family Fun : It’s fine fare for Melodrama fans. But, three-hour length may be difficult for kids.

It’s two days before Christmas and Santa Claus’ North Pole workshop is bustling even by Santa’s two-days-before-Christmas standards. Three of the elves appear to be in some sort of romantic triangle--that hussy Goldie trying to steal naive Stepp from his longtime fiancee, Patty--and lead reindeer Rudolph is missing. Add a few songs, and this sounds like something that the Moorpark Melodrama might cook up--and indeed it is.

Written by longtime Melodrama staffer Elaine Raleigh, who also directed, and her husband, Darren, “The Ransom of Rudolph” is specifically aimed at the Melodrama’s audience, drawing from proven elements of past productions. At its packed day-after-Thanksgiving opening, the show drew the most consistently strong audience response heard in Moorpark in some time.

The Melodrama’s holiday presentation brings in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to rescue Rudolph (Amy Mills) from kidnaper “Ugly Pierre” d’Escargot (Chris Carnicelli), a fur-trapper whose attitude is as bad as his French accent. The presence of Detective Inspector Lance Sterling (James MacDonald) allows a Nelson Eddy-Jeanette MacDonald parody, with Susan Burns returning Lance’s Indian love calls as “Rosemarie MacDonald.”

There are standard melodrama elements (with plenty to cheer for and boo at). Retired British Army officer Col. Saltlick (Bob Craig) is on hand, all too eager to share his reminiscences of helping to keep the Empire secure. The women include Sara Wilkey as Patty, Lucian Casselman as vampish Goldie, Linda Honeyman as dance-hall proprietress One-Eyed Sadie, and Amy Sullivan as Mrs. Claus. Sean Burns plays likable-but-dim elf Stepp; and rapping Latino reindeer Dancer and Prancer are both played by people named “Jason”--Bishop and Rasmussen, respectively.

As director, Raleigh keeps the show packed with amusing stage business, aided by Bonnie deGrood’s choreography. And Mills is more physically expressive than anybody could expect from someone in a reindeer suit.

Generally speaking, the men’s roles are broader--and more amusingly played--than the women’s, but the only real weakness is in some voices’ inability to reach the theater’s back rows.

It’s easy to recommend “The Ransom of Rudolph” for family audiences, but with one caveat: The show runs three hours even before the audience is asked to join in on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” And that’s a pretty long time to expect a youngster’s interest to keep up, no matter how colorful, tune-filled or funny a show may be.

Details

* WHAT: “The Ransom of Rudolph.”

* WHEN: Thursdays and Sundays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Runs through Dec. 23.

* WHERE: Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama & Vaudeville Company Theater, 45 East High St. in Moorpark.

* COST: All seats for all shows, $13. Group rates are available for some performances. Visa and MasterCard accepted.

* FYI: For reservations or further information, call 529-1212.