Casper the Friendly Ghost is a familiar figure to children, and this musical is based on the theme of Casper (Siobhan Moore) being consistently harassed by his wacky uncles, Fatso (Marcus James), Stinkie (Glen Bowtell), and Stretch (David Jerome.) Bil Con (Robert Austin) owns a mansion and is planning on renovating it. He hires the Spookinators to rid the mansion of the ghosts. His nebbishy nephew Donald (John Halmi) is terrified by the project and needs the friendly aid of Casper. There's a lot of cat-and-mouse chasing as the Spookinators fight with a group of Un Dead who've been living in the basement. In the meantime, the female Spookinator falls in love with Uncle Stinkie. Although she can "see right through him, " she decides he's the guy for her.
To a degree, the story is a rip-off of "Ghostbusters," with Casper thrown in as a peripheral character. But my 6-year-old -- who is mature enough to call Ragtime and The King and I his favorite musicals -- found it entertaining. In fact, he thought that Casper was the highlight of our trip to London. There are great costumes, terrific dance numbers and some catchy songs. The music ranges from rap and disco to romantic ("I Could Love a Man Named Stinkie.") The story is set in America and it's amusing to hear the mispronunciations of most of the cast members, except for John Halmi who happens to be American. It's wonderful to see kids so engrossed in a story with a set and special effects that add to the magic.
