If you’ve ever been to Vashon Island, then this show will immediately strike a chord with you. If you haven’t, then imagine an isolated and out of the way community; friendly, but with almost nothing going on. Then use that as backdrop for a Depression era nine-year-old’s journey of self discovery and the eternal question: what is going on with Santa Claus? That’s Red Ranger Came Calling in a nutshell: a beloved children’s book by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed and now also a full length musical adapted by the folks over at Book-It Repertory Theater.

I was honestly blown away by this show. As the main character, the casting of Red is pivotal, and Jerick Hoffer was absolutely brilliant. With his high energy performance and unbelievably expressive face, Mr. Hoffer really captured just how much of a brat Red is. He invested me in the character. I cared if he got the much-coveted Buck Tweed two-speed crime stopper star hopper bicycle. More so, I cared about Red’s relationship to his Aunt Vy. Mr. Hoffer is without question an extremely talented actor. If you can, catch him in his Cabaret persona performing with the Vaudevillians. It’s a whole different show.

The choreography, set, and costumes were top notch as well. There was one scene where Red enters a large room full of broken down old toys, and I could not tell they were people until they started moving. The effect was magical, and I’m fairly certain witchcraft was involved. The dances were great overall, but it’s hard to top toys coming to life.

Comedic timing is an elusive prize for any medium, but Red Ranger had it in spades. A great example was the Red Ranger radio broadcast scene, which had the whole audience in stitches. A combination of good direction, clever scriptwriting, and talented acting made this show the funniest I’ve seen in months.

Of course, everything I’ve mentioned so far is just window dressing compared to what makes or breaks a musical: the music (oddly enough). No amount of heartfelt performances or breathtaking dances can make up for sound that grates on the ears. Fortunately, Red Ranger scores high marks, both in singing and accompaniment. The pianist dressed as an old sea captain was an especially nice touch, and I was quite impressed with the voice of Theresa Holmes as Aunt Vy.

Red Ranger Came Calling plays at the Seattle Children’s Theater through December 23rd, with performances Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30pm, and special 2:00pm matinee shows on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available here. At only $20 for students, they are a steal. If you like this show, then just wait until February, when Book-It will be putting on their adaptation of the Dickens novel Great Expectations: the story of a boy’s quest to become a gentlemen.