NURTURING STAGES.

Byline: Vicki Smith Paluch Correspondent

When you are making plans to go to the theater - be it to see a musical, drama, comedy, concert, opera or ballet - why not make it a family affair and bring the kids?

There are Broadway shows well-known to children such as Disney's ``Beauty and the Beast,'' which is returning to Los Angeles in September, and long-running ``Lion King.''

But families needn't restrict themselves to a brand label. There is much for them to experience after graduating from the hourlong kiddie shows and concerts.

``Big River,'' the Tony-nominated musical based on the Mark Twain classic ``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,'' will be performed by actors who speak and use sign language in Deaf West's production at the Mark Taper Forum this November. The Center Theatre Group is also bringing such toe-tapping musicals as ``42nd Street'' and ``Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk'' to the Ahmanson in January and July, respectively.

Of course, Broadway megahits Mel Brooks' ``The Producers'' and the ABBA musical ``Mamma Mia!'' are also coming to the Ahmanson in July and September next year. But these are shows where parents must ask themselves, ``Is my kid ready for this?'' and ``Am I ready to discuss the themes of these shows with my kids?''

So, before buying tickets for a family afternoon or evening at the theater, parents have some homework to do.

Subject matters

``When you ask, 'What do I expect of children when they come to our theater?' I expect them to enjoy themselves,'' said Craig Springer, executive director of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. ``I'm not helping to develop them as theater-goers if they don't enjoy the experience.''

To make sure that the child will enjoy the magic of the theater, meaning all of the performing arts, the parents must bring the child to a show that will make him or her happy, he said. ``First, decide whether the child is able to understand what is going on in the show and the nature of the experience,'' Springer said. ``Will the child be able to sit through a two-hour show?''

Gauge your child's likes and dislikes, attention span and ability to sit still. Then, assess the age-appropriateness of the show you are considering, workers in the performing arts suggested.

``We never advise anyone to bring a child under the age of 5 to a Broadway musical,'' said Katie Bell, the marketing manger for the Theatre League, which is bringing ``Beauty and the Beast'' to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium (Sept. 10-15), Long Beach Terrace Theatre (Sept. 17-22) and Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza (Sept. 24-29).

``Even this show,'' she added.

Bell said that some parents have insisted on bringing infants to ``Beauty and the Beast,'' saying that their baby has been listening to the music since he or she was in the womb. However, listening to music there is not quite as loud as amplified sound in a theater.

``The ears of infants and very young children are not ready for the sound level of a Broadway show,'' Bell said.

Dress rehearsal 

The theater league is also bringing ``Burn the Floor,'' the steamy ballroom dance musical, and ``Miss Saigon,'' which is set in a bordello in Vietnam before the fall of the capital and the expulsion of the Americans.

These two shows are ``for mature audiences,'' Bell said.

``If parents are thinking about purchasing season tickets for the family or tickets for a single show, always call the box office and ask about the content and its appropriateness for children,'' she said. ``The staff will be able to tell you if the show is for mature audiences.''

At the Center Theatre Group - the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum - education specialists have developed a Web site for teachers and parents to help prepare children for a theater experience. The site, www.taperahmanson.com, reveals the content of the shows the group recommends for families, such as ``Big River'' and ``42nd Street,'' for ages 6 and older; the group recommends ``Chavez Ravine'' for 10 and older.

It also contains ``study guides'' for middle-school and high-school students to the other shows at the two theaters. Adults, parents or not, might enjoy glancing at the Web site to become more familiar with the plays.

``The guides and our free family series preshow activities provide entry points to the messages of the show to help involve the child and help the child understand the show's messages,`` said Kimiko Broder, education associate for the Performances for Los Angeles Youth (PLAY) at Center Theatre Group.

You don't have to attend special family workshops; parents can help prepare their children by stopping by a local library and checking out a recording of the musical, symphonic work, ballet or opera and listening to it before seeing the performance, or before purchasing tickets.

Oftentimes, performances have been videotaped as a part of ``Great Performances'' on PBS and may be at your local library. Many operas are available on tape, and many of the classic pieces of musical theater have been made into movies, or originated as movies, such as ``42nd Street'' and ``The Producers.''

And you can also read the libretto of the opera, the play itself, the fairy tales that tell the story of the ballet, or reviews of the show.

Maria Ramos, education specialist for the Los Angeles Opera, advises parents to wait until their children are in third or fourth grade before attending a matinee of a child-friendly opera such as ``Barber of Seville,'' which LA Opera will be performing in February, or such operas as ``Hansel and Gretel'' and ``The Magic Flute.''

Opera, which is often performed in a foreign language and tends to run between three and four hours, may be a bit much for some children. LA Opera uses ``super titles,'' which translate the lyrics into English the audience can read above the stage.

While opera, ballet and musical theater have much to engage the eyes and ears, classical music does not, often making it a bit more difficult for a child who is not learning how to play an instrument to connect with the symphony.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pasadena Symphony offer Saturday afternoon programs, introducing elementary school-age children to the instruments in the orchestra and classical music via shorter programs of one hour or less.

``Listening to live orchestral music is different because there is no visual component as there is in musical theater or dance,'' said Llewellyn Crain, director of educational initiatives for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. ``A child who plays an instrument in a school orchestra will enjoy watching the conductor and the musicians.''

At the Hollywood Bowl, the classical concerts are more casual and family oriented. John Mauceri, the conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, addresses the audience from the stage.

As part of its ``Much Ado About Something'' program on Sept. 6 and 7, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra will be joined by Pacific Northwest Ballet in a performance of ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' with choreography by George Balanchine and music by Felix Mendelssohn. In addition, the orchestra will perform other symphonic works inspired by the plays of William Shakespeare.

Know your lines

``You have to know your child's attention span, bladder control and ability to sit still for a few hours,'' Crain said.

Ramos said it is critical that parents spend some time discussing theater etiquette before taking their children to the opera, or any of the performing arts.

``We want all students to feel comfortable in the theater and to enjoy the performance, and in order to make this possible, each student must play his or her role as an attentive audience member,'' she said.

Before getting to the theater, discuss how one behaves during the performance with your child: sitting quickly, applauding at the end of songs and acts, not kicking the chair in front of you. Basically, being kind and considerate.

Making sure that your child has eaten before attending a performance will improve their attention span and disposition. Also, visit the restroom before the opening curtain.

Even though Los Angeles has a casual dress code, sometimes it's nice to dress up for the theater, especially for young girls who will quickly outgrow their holiday or birthday frock. It makes going to the theater a special occasion, which it is, considering you are paying from $20 to $80 per ticket, depending on the performance and the venue.

And parents, get to the theater in plenty of time to pick up tickets, walk around the theater, show your child the orchestra pit so he or she can see that real people will be performing.

As a parent myself, I follow the example my parents showed me. I purchase tickets in ``penny heaven,'' the balcony. I ask for the center section and aisle seats for a quick escape in case my child acts up or gets sick. It happens.

At a local theater, a child in the mezzanine cried out, ``Mommy, I'm going to be sick.'' The mother said, audible to those below, ``It's almost intermission, just wait a second.''

Well, the child couldn't wait and vomited over the railing, just missing the orchestra seats and a popular television weathercaster sitting nearby.

``You never know what's going to happen when you bring your child to the theater for the first time,'' said Lori Yonan, the publicist for the Cerritos Center and mother of two young daughters.

Know your child - and be prepared. Then you, your family and those around will have fun and you all can enjoy the magic of the theater.

Theater etiquette

for children (and adults)

Sit quietly in your seat when the lights go out, and do not talk. Real people are on that stage and in the orchestra pit, and they can hear you, as can those sitting nearby.

Do not eat or drink inside the theater.

Do not use a camera, tape recorder, beeper or cell phone.

Applaud when the conductor enters the orchestra pit. It's the traditional welcoming the audience gives to the conductor.

Show that you are enjoying the performance by applauding at the conclusion of the song, act, dance variation or symphony.

During a comedy, don't be afraid to laugh. Performers love the sound of laughter and applause.

If you don't care for the play, try to focus on the lighting, the costumes, the sets, or what's going on in the orchestra pit. At intermission, the child and parents can determine if they want to see the end of the show.

If a younger child is disturbing others, do the considerate thing and quiet the child, even if it means leaving the theater.

At the end of the show, applaud. Show your appreciation if you liked it. If you absolutely loved it, stand up and applaud. A standing ovation is a special reward for the performers.

- V.S.P.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) DARE to take the kids to the theater

Sarah Lewis/Special to the Daily News

(2 -- color) Actors from ``Cinderella'' at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank meet young theatergoers, from left, Hunter, Brittany and Savanna Feldman after a recent performance.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) Kathleen Zundell performs ``Taking Hands'' using a combination of storytelling and American Sign Language at Kidspace Museum in Pasadena.

Bernardo Alps/Staff Photographer

Box:

Theater etiquette (see text)