The 7-and-under set was decked out in holiday finery for The Magical Forest of Baba Yaga, Urban Stages' musical adaptation of a Russian fairy tale. The wood witch Baba Yaga, who lives in a wooden hut that moves on tall chicken legs, is a well-known Middle European character. Stanton Wood's modern translation adapts an original Russian play, Two Maples, by Eugene Schwarz (1896-1958). Wood brings Schwarz's story — two disobedient sons who are turned into trees — to America: Prospect Park, according to the program. Baba Yaga's "guard bear," roared with gusto by Ned Massey, is a transformed real-estate agent, for example, but the Slavic flavor of the original survives nicely. Costumes by Lioudmila Maisouradze, who has worked for the Kiev State Circus, include gold trim for the bear, a black-and-white Rasta look for the dog (Rainey Lacey), and are spectacular in every sense.
The show falls a little flat, though, despite some cute songs by Greg E. Adair and Colm Clark (the finale is by Massey) and the charm of actors who accompany themselves with glockenspiel, banjo, and musical saw, among others. Director Aleksey Burago doesn't tell a clear story. Are we waiting for mother Lisa (warm Maria Silverman) to find her two boys, to complete Baba Yaga's impossible tasks, or to trick Baba Yaga (campy Nikki E. Walker) into doling out praise? We're not sure which step is most important, and attention wavers (wee ones fidgeted).
The cast tries hard, but only Catherine Kjome — who played both Egon, one of the sons, and a winsome cat whose feline chatter evokes Audrey Hepburn — brings big doses of fairy dust with her. The Magical Forest of Baba Yaga pleases but does not enchant.
Presented by and at Urban Stages, 359 W. 30th St., NYC. Dec. 16-Jan. 7. Thu.-Sat., 7 p.m.; Wed., Sat., and Sun., 2 p.m. (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.