Parents Won’t Mind If Their Children Join This ‘Circus’

Storybook Theatre’s stage shows at Theatre West are fun for shy children who want to watch safely from their seats, but there’s no denying the huge appeal of these highly interactive theater happenings for the bold little volunteers who clamor for their chance to join the action on stage.

Such chances abound in the company’s reprise of its musical romp “The Circus Is Coming to Town!,” in which theatergoers are not only invited to further the plot as themselves, but they can be wild animals, clowns and acrobats too.

In the simply structured show, written and directed by Lloyd J. Schwartz and performed by adult professionals, a lone ringmaster (Joe Lucas) has a building permit to build a circus--but no circus. If he can’t come up with one, his unscrupulous competitor, Mr. Grimble (Steve O’Connor), will usurp the location for his yucky “Spinachade” business.

The ringmaster recruits a clown (Mary Garripoli) and an animal trainer (Barbara Mallory Schwartz), but unless the audience can help, the circus won’t be real enough to satisfy Mr. Grimble (and his alter ego, Ms. Ima Notfun).

As always, the audience joins in with enthusiasm, not just raising hands and begging to be picked for various roles but also roaring like lions and shouting helpful information upon request, beeping horns in the circus band and tattling on Grimble when he steals the ringmaster’s building permit. Gleeful shouts of “That’s not a lady!” greet Grimble in his disguise as Ms. Notfun.

Some chosen as wild animals may be tentative, standing up on their platforms and wearing their animal ears, but most quickly get into growling and pawing the air, while the volunteer acrobats do somersaults with a bit of coaxing, and the clowns hop about.

Schwartz’s cheery lyrics and Brian Feinstein’s music are tuneful, if not particularly memorable, although “Why Not Believe?” is a sweet celebration of the imagination, and Ms. Ima Notfun’s ode to contrariness, “No, No, No!,” offers comical punch.

The able adult cast members aren’t exceptional vocalists, but they keep things moving smoothly, projecting jaunty good humor and a comfortable connection with the audience. Rosetta Gitlin did the uncomplicated choreography, and Lee Bauer adds color with a simple big-top stage design.

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* “The Circus Is Coming to Town!,” Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Saturdays, 1 p.m. Indefinitely. $8. (818) 761-2203.