Tuesday, December 4, 2007

The Washington Savoyards are presenting the company's first full production of the season, Victor Herbert's "Babes in Toyland," at the attractive new Atlas Performing Arts Center. This likable troupe, now in its 35th season, recently expanded its offerings outside the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, to include Broadway as well as other light opera works.

The plot of "Babes" (which premiered in 1903) is highly convoluted, far more than any G&S show -- 25 speaking parts and at least four couples to sort out. The music is inferior to Sullivan's, but the nonstop action holds interest.

The Savoyards' singers and musicians are largely drawn from the cream of the area's amateurs, semiprofessionals and students. The "Babes" cast includes a dozen children (as young as 6) who, besides being painfully cute, move and sing with remarkable assurance. Director Catherine Huntress-Reeve, choreographer Pauline Grossman and costume designer Eleanor Dicks have worked magic; the show sparkles, even through the weaker moments.

Standouts in the cast include Alexandra Boul¿-Buckley (Mary), with the finest voice; Daniel Pushkin (Barnaby), who throws himself into his villain role with such gusto as to endanger himself; Carolyn Agan (Jane), who can speak and act en pointe; and Justine Moral (Bo Peep), who appears to be still a teenager, yet sings and moves with the flair of a seasoned veteran.

This charming show is well positioned for the holiday season, as families look for high-quality children-themed entertainment, and it ties in nicely with the company's toy-collection drive at each performance, under the Toys for Tots program. Performances run through Dec. 9.

-- Robert Battey