Laurie Friedman’s Love, Ruby Valentine is a sweet story. The children’s book is about a girl who loves Valentine’s Day so much that exhaustive preparation makes her accidentally sleep right through it. The book has been transformed into a stage musical for young kids courtesy of Sunset Playhouse’s “bug in a rug” Children’s Theater series. Liz Mistele brought extremely kinetic enthusiasm to the role of the title character. Christopher Elst had remarkably sharp wit in the role of her parrot, Lovebird. Jason Powell anchored the story musically as a narrator with an acoustic guitar.
The original musical adaptation was a clever choice for Sunset’s Children’s Theater Series. It’s simple and charming without too much to have to follow. The series welcomes even the smallest kids into a space with only a few chairs, where parents, pajamas and blankets assemble around a modest stage. Powell’s ’60s folk-rock kept it all humming along with a rhythm simple and powerful enough for any kid to follow. Mistele’s energy could even wrangle the attention of a 2-year-old at the back of the studio theater space. The latest in Sunset’s Children’s Theater Series continues to show grace in entertainment through engrossingly playful simplicity. Kids arrive in an open carpeted room for crafts. Then there’s a show with parents cuddling kids in pajamas and blankets. There’s some audience participation. The show’s kid-friendly runtime ensures that it will be over in time for a post-show nap.
Love, Ruby Valentine ran for one week only. The next children’s show, The Little Red Hen Remix, runs May 11-14. For more information, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.
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