First Stage has put together one of the cutest productions for the younger set that I have seen over several seasons. And to make it even better it is in the very intimate Goodman Mainstage at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. The Goodman is a theater in the round so no one is far from the action. And to add to the fun many of the front row chairs have been replaced with carpet squares so the youngest among us can have a stage side front row seat! This play appeals to the 3 to 8 year olds so this seating arrangement was well met…yes it was!
Lovabye Dragon was adapted from Wisconsin author Barbara Joosse’s Dragon and Girl books by First Stage’s Executive Artistic Director Jeff Frank and Barbara Joosse with original music by The Happy Racers. And Director Marion Frank makes it all sing and come alive on stage!
Since I don’t anticipate too many 4 year olds reading this review, I don’t think I need to hold back on any of the story. We meet Girl, a princess, celebrating her birthday with her Mother, the Queen, and Father, the King, in their castle home. After blowing out the candles on her cake which is almost immediately swept away, she opens her birthday present. It is a stuffed dragon. She laments that she asked for a real dragon and even wished for one as she was blowing out the candles on her cake. Mother and Father of course, being protective parents, outline all of the reasons that a dragon is unsafe…and you can never ever really trust a dragon. Father: “My motto is: Play it safe”. And then for safety the girl is sent to her room. She cries in sadness and frustration and her tears magically transport to the cave of a dragon, who too is lonely and in due course the dragon comes to her rescue (and his own as well).
And Girl suggests that they go outside and play and engage in a round of hide and seek. Girl has never been outside. But Girl hides too well and too far from the castle and night falls before they are reunited. Girl finds a treasure map in a bottle washed up on shore and they are off on a great great adventure…with challenges and new characters…and three little Viking trolls who want her gold. But here is the moral of our story…gold is friendship and our Vikings quickly understand that true friendship is truly gold.
Like many First Stage productions for youngsters, this play is anchored by a number of adult actors. Bree Beelow as Mother, Jesse Weinberg as Father (and part of the dragon…more later). The most involved adult here is Christopher Feiereisen as the Troubadour. Luckily for us and Girl and Dragon, Feiereisen isn’t quite an adult in his own imagination yet. He clearly displays the youthful and playful character of a youngster, all the while framing the story for us in wonderful rhyme and dance and music. If it weren’t for the dragon, Feiereisen would be the star of the show.
And as usual, the young actors are split into two casts, the Magic Cast and the Wish Cast. The named lead of course is Girl who is played by Lainey Techtmann in the Magic Cast and Amelia Sajdak in the Wish Cast. I saw the Magic Cast, and they were marvelous. Girl has the major speaking role and also performs a number of the key songs that tell the story. But from experience, no one will ever be disappointed by any cast in a First Stage production. But do keep in that if you wish to see a particular young actor, pay careful attention to which cast they are a part of and which days they perform.
And now, THERE ARE PUPPETS! What wonderful, what marvelous puppets. And I enjoy puppets a great deal and First Stage always uses them to great effect and has an amazing puppet workshop (see my previous posts on First Stage presentations to see a vast array of their puppetry). The major puppets are of course Dragon, operated by three actors, one working the head, one working the tail, and one serving as the legs and framework of the body. A great colorful walking dragon!
And there are a number of smaller dragons who represent the dragon in travel and the three little Viking trolls who are just as lively and incredible as our dragon. Props to puppet designer Brandon Kirkham and his helpers.
One amazing thing I did learn: Dragons wag their tails when they are happy!
And one other feature of every First Stage production. There is always a short talk back at the end where the younger members of the audience get to ask questions of the cast. It is such fun to hear what they see and how they react to each play. This time one young lady was perplexed on what Girl’s name was. She didn’t want to accept that it was Girl. And one young man wanted to know why it took two people to work the dragon puppet. It is pretty large as is apparent in the photos. He was surprised to find out that it was actually three actors…he had missed the actor inside the body allowing the dragon to dance and walk.
First Stage’s Lovabye Dragon is at the Goodman Mainstage at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center from now until February 15th, 2026. Additional info and tickets here.
Approximately 50 minutes with no intermission. Recommended for families with young people ages 3-8 and brave explorers of all ages.
Extra Credit Reading: Enrichment Guide! Social Narrative!