In ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ Kids Get in the Act

Storybook Theatre begins its 16th season with a new musical adaptation of “Sleeping Beauty,” which is very much like its old musical adaptation of “Sleeping Beauty”: not notably tuneful or witty, but pleasant, with loads of audience participation to make it a wow for the 6-and-under set.

Lloyd J. Schwartz’s plot remains the same, as a giddy-but-wise fairy (Bonnie Kalisher) punishes the King and Queen (Stephen Reynolds and Susan Morgenstern) when they forget to say thank you for their baby shower gifts.

(Children in the audience, chosen by Fairy Morbid before the scene, present the wrapped presents to the royal couple on stage, the first of many opportunities for little feet to briefly tread the boards.)

The punishment that condemns their daughter to sleep for 100 years does contain that “handsome prince escape clause ... “

The catch? If the prince kisses the wrong cheek, Sleeping Beauty will wake up transformed into a hooting, scratching monkey.

The Equity cast, directed by Barbara Mallory Schwartz, gives the proceedings a jovial bounce, even as the rhythm of the piece stops and starts to call for volunteers as sign carriers (“100 Years Pass”), as diaper-changers (for baby Aurora), and to try to wake up Sleeping Beauty by singing songs and tickling her.

The level of involvement is intense. At one recent show, kids shouted out suggestions when asked how to keep Aurora from falling asleep, but the King jumped in a little too soon to say that he was going to have all the spinning wheels thrown out.

“That was my idea,” shouted an indignant little theatergoer.

The play gets an entertaining boost with the arrival of Kelly Stables as the princess who thinks beautiful thoughts, does kind deeds, sings like a bird and proclaims herself altogether “lovely and dainty and light as a feather ... and perfect in every way.”

“La, La, La, La, La” is a funny number that introduces the grown-up Sleeping Beauty to the audience, and since Stables really does look lovely and dainty and possesses genuine comic chops, the self-parody is the best song in the show.

Stables also must submit to being disguised in Groucho glasses and used as the object of an accidental game of tug-of-war between her parents, who want to hide her in the audience to prevent Fairy Morbid from doing further mischief.

Stables makes the most of the seemingly simian result, too, when Adam Conger’s Handsome Prince does his job and wakes Aurora up.

Despite Schwartz’s reworking of lyrics and composer Michael Paul’s new pop score, though, or Rosetta Gitlin’s mildly lively choreography and Richard De Siato’s nicely worked castle set piece in primary colors, the show follows the company’s usual formula. Memorable theater isn’t what Storybook Theatre has been about all of these years. Its appeal is it’s an unscary, playful theatrical setting, and a good-natured invitation to very young children to become part of a familiar story.

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“Sleeping Beauty,” Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd., L.A. Saturdays at 1 p.m. through Feb. 23. Adults, $10; children, $8. (818) 761-2203. Running time: 75 minutes.