THEATER REVIEW:Just spooky enough for kids

Continuing in its tradition of offering weekend matinees for children, The Falcon Theatre in Burbank is offering a new ditty with just a teaspoon of Halloween spookiness called "Peter and the Wolf."

This has very little to do with Prokofiev's symphony of the same name. There is no live classical music, no costumed wolves and just a little dancing. It does, however, include a boy named Peter who's visiting his grandfather in Russia. Plus a bit more.

Peter is a modern American teen visiting his cousins in "mini-Moscow." Due to his arrival on Halloween, the cousins are all dressed up in kooky costumes, and they make Peter do the same. Brother Boris has always had a thing against Cousin Peter, so when they find a treasure map in Grandfather's library, Boris conspires to mess up their plans for the hunt.

They must cross Tchaikovsky River, go through the Pine Forest and scale Chekhov Peak to reach the gold, all during a Code Red Wolf Alert. It's basically Dora the Explorer meets Dostoevsky. Of course, they have to work as a team to get out the jam they find themselves in. Predictable yes, but there is a surprisingly touching part when the two male cousins overcome their grudge.

Mostly, it's full of Russian references — babushka, Tolstoy, baklava, caviar — as well as modern American pop culture ideas from PBS kids shows to American Idol and MTV. They even throw in a few scraps for the adults (the flight attendant's name is Hannah Karenina.)

With all the clever puns, you can tell playwright Timothy Groff is connected with the Troubadour Theater Company that has brought us deconstructed classics like "Much a Doobie Brothers about Nothing" and "Fleetwood Macbeth."

But Groff seems to think the best way to entertain people, especially children, is to toss out dozens of pop-culture references. That, combined with the breakneck pace of the dialogue, gives one the feeling the creators were desperate not to bore the audience.

Instead of Dora the Explorer, they might've evoked Mr. Rogers. He once said the best thing you can do for a child is to do something you love in their presence, such as craft glass figurines or play the clarinet.

Gail Bianchi, who plays cousin Svetlana, seems to get this idea. She really relishes her part as the Hip-Hop Ballerina and playfully romps about the stage, drawing the audience's attention wherever she goes. In her words, she's "da bomb."

Boris, played by Ringling Bros. Clown College graduate Voki Kalfayan, also seems to be amusing to himself and therefore amusing to the kids. Kids know when you're trying to get them to react a certain way and it can backfire.

And while the other two characters (Peter and Nina, played by Anthony Mannix and Jennifer Seigert respectively) are fine, they don't have the same charisma.

"Peter and the Wolf" is targeted toward the young child (maybe ages 3 to 7), though the threat of wolves could be a bit too scary for some. My older children thought it was "just OK." Still, with Halloween becoming all about ghoulishness, this play is a breath of fresh air in your seasonal entertainment choices. It features funny costumes, walking with friends at night, a few laughs and a dash of fear. Just what Halloween's all about.