Theater Review

Tom Titus

Back when my kids were little, I could have told you anything you wanted

to know about “Sesame Street,” “Scooby Doo” or “You Can’t Do That on

Television.”

But they’re both in their 20’s now, and my familiarity with TV shows for

preschoolers is nonexistent.

Thus, the opening night of “Blue’s Clues Live!” at the Orange County

Performing Arts Center was something of a revelation.

This Nickelodeon show, which first aired in 1996, has a tremendous

following, reaching more preschoolers than that silly purple dinosaur--30

million viewers in all, including 6.6 million kids and 5.7 million

mothers.

Wednesday night, it seemed like most of them were at The Center,

screaming and cheering as their hero Steve and his big blue pooch

followed the paw print clues to a message borrowed from the final scene

of “The Wizard of Oz.”

“Blue’s Clues Live!” as the show is billed, is both entertaining and

educational. Fairy tale characters are juxtaposed and youngsters in the

audience are summoned to help straighten them out.

Then things get far out--in space--as Steve strives to put all the

planets in order, again with the young viewers’ help.

The driving force of “Blue’s Clues Live!” is Tom Mizer, pinch-hitting for

the TV actor who hosts the Nickelodeon adventures. Mizer brings the manic

energy of a Jim Carrey on a caffeine high to the stage, joyfully

interacting with his young audience and establishing instant rapport.

Besides the oversized puppy in the title role, “Blue’s Clues Live!”

features the animated inanimate objects from the TV show--Tickety Tock (a

clock), Slippery (a cake of soap), both played by real actors, and

talking set pieces such as a mailbox, salt and pepper shakers and even a

chatty curtain.

The trip into the Storybook Forest is especially captivating for the kids

as Steve and Blue straighten out the characters from the “Three Little

Pigs,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and “Jack and the

Beanstalk”--who are interacting, “Into the Woods” style, with each other.

The outer space adventure is an educational trip calculated to send the

youngsters to first grade knowing the names of all nine planets.

The show’s grand finale is a guaranteed audience pleaser (and who would

have expected snow on the first day of summer?) that showcases director

and co-creator Gip Hoppe’s imaginative stagecraft. The larger-than-life

sets by David Gallo are equally striking, and the “thinking chair” effect

is particularly noteworthy.

Preschoolers and their parents have three more chances to see the live

version of this popular kiddie show up close and personal today and

Sunday. It’s a cinch they won’t be bored.

CUTLINE: Tom Mizer cavorts with his oversized puppy Blue in the

children’s show “Blue’s Clues Live!” at the Orange County Performing Arts

Center.

WHAT: “Blue’s Clues Live!”WHERE: Orange County Performing Arts Center,

600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

WHEN: 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. today and Sunday

HOW MUCH: $16.50 to $29.50

PHONE: (714) 740-7878