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Evan Calhoun thinks it's "awesome" that Wolf gobbles up Duck in Imagination Stage's presentation of "Peter & the Wolf." Another 7-year-old, Sienna Calhoun, has a decidedly different point of view.

"I thought it was sad," she admits, but then again, she also understands "it wasn't real, because wolves can't talk."

The youngster makes a good point. When it comes to learning life lessons, sometimes it's best to blend fantasy with just a dash of Reality 101.

This contemporary take on Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev's story and music introduces children to everything from slapstick to the waltz, tango and gospel. Adults may remember that the composer's original work, written in 1936, assigned instruments and leitmotifs to represent characters. This updated version, written by Allison Gregory and Hummie Mann, brings in actors, dance and modern references including "taco night." It was first performed at the Seattle Children's Theatre in its 2005-'06 season.

Even this modern take needed a little tweaking. Director David S. Leong added what he calls a little "sizzle and pop." Working with his wife, choreographer Patti D'Beck, the couple studied both the music and script, and decided it needed "depth." They opted to use full orchestration, and add dance routines, masks and puppets.

They also concluded that while parents are familiar with the tale, or at least Prokofiev's "Peter & the Wolf" score, "most kids don't know the story." With this in mind, telling the story became critical.

Imagination Stage's Artistic Director Janet Stanford is delighted with the results.

"David and his team of designers have come up with some exquisite and imaginative ways of depicting the pond, the tree, Peter and the Cat and — most importantly — Duck in her new ‘home' after she is swallowed by Wolf," she says.

Many children will identify with the kinetic Peter (Matthew McGloin), who literally flips across the stage, climbs trees and hikes through the meadows, rarely heeding his elderly grandfather's instructions. Peter is a country boy and even if a mean old wolf is wandering through the woods, he can't stay within the gated garden's confines.

On this particular day, Peter goes to the pond to meet up with his buddies, Bird and Duck. Peter plays referee between his feathered friends, who argue back and forth, exclaiming: "What kind of bird are you if you can't fly?" and "What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?"

In Gregory and Mann's original work, actors perform the roles of both the bird and the duck, but Leong uses puppets, too, which he believes "help the audience suspend disbelief as they watch the bird fly and the duck swim."

But it's no easy task for the actors as they literally are required to do double duty. Duck (Gia Mora) must maneuver her wisecracking and awfully cute puppet as she waddles around the stage. For this audience member, puppet and actor soon seem to blend into one character.

Leong isn't all about unnecessary props; he uses his puppets judiciously. The director figured Cat didn't need to be a puppet since the feline would climb trees in its fruitless attempts to swallow Bird.

Cat (Calvin McCullough) shows up at the pond complaining. It seems that Peter forgot to feed his pet this morning and he is starving. Mr. Drama-king falls to the ground, withering in pain, before spryly jumping up in an attempt to grab Duck and Bird.

It is the sound of Wolf's mournful howl that stops their squabbles and suddenly, these enemies are banding together for safety. Maybe Wolf is supposed to be cruel, but no one can hate a guy who, asked why he ate Duck, replies "I was hungry."

In this protect-our-kids-at-all-costs world, Leong never considered saving duck.

"I can't think of a reason. Think of the Lion King, he lost his parents and remember Bambi," he says.

Although he rarely does children's productions, he figures, but for the character's complexity, stories and length, "it is all the same."

In his 30-plus years of directing, Leong has learned that, while it's all about the children enjoying live theater, the adult audience members also merit consideration. To this end, Imagination Stage's "Peter & and the Wolf" is dotted with asides and jokes older folks can appreciate. Ultimately, the director doesn't want to hear a parent come out of the theater dismissively saying, "The kids loved it." Instead, his goal is for adults to say they'd be willing to see the show even if they didn't bring their youngsters.

After three decades of experience, Leong knows show business. He estimates having worked on some 100 productions at the Shakespeare Theater and Arena Stage, and he has taught at the Juilliard School and the University of Maryland. In 1996, to cut down on his traveling in consideration of his young family, Leong became chairman and producer of Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Theater.

Filled with music, slapstick, fight scenes, jokes and drama, "Peter & the Wolf" promises to please even the most impossible parent.

The musical "Peter & the Wolf" will be presented through March 21 at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. Performances are at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with some 11 a.m. Saturday shows. A President's Day performance, on Monday, Feb. 15, is set for 1:30 p.m., and a grandparent/grandchild event, in which participants see the show, meet the actors and enjoy Russian-themed refreshments, starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27. Tickets are $10 to $21. Call 301-280-1660 or visit

www.imaginationstage.org.