SCALING THE HEIGHTS 'DRAGON TALES' LIVE SHOW IMPARTS SPIRIT OF COOPERATION TO KIDS.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

FROM THE FOLKS who brought you ``Sesame Street Live ...''

Of course, some people seeking out their family entertainment will need no further endorsement. Now in its second year, the stage show ``Dragon Tales Live'' is the brainchild of VEE Entertainment Corp., the Minneapolis-based group that developed the ``Sesame Street'' touring shows with the late Muppeteer Jim Henson 23 years ago.

``Sesame Street'' may be the pioneer, but ``Dragon Tales Live'' is very much its own, er, animal. Based on the top-rated animated children's show about a pair of siblings who cavort with flying dragons in mythical Dragon Land, ``Dragon Tales Live'' lands at the Kodak Theatre on Friday for seven performances.

`` 'Dragon Tales' skews a little older because of the live kids,'' says Jim Waters, senior vice president at VEE and the show's producer. ``We have a nice cross section with the full-bodied dragons and the puppets. Having the live kids has just been huge.''

Those kids would be 6-year-old Emmy and 4-year-old Max, who are played on the tour by four different actors, none older than 12. In ``Missing Music Mystery,'' one of two touring ``Dragon Tales Live'' shows, Max and Emmy solve problems on their quest to hold a concert in Dragon Land. Dragon pals Ord, Cassie, Zak, Wheezie and Quetzal are all on hand to help the youngsters - on stage and off - unravel the mystery.

What's that? You don't recognize the names? Ask your preschoolers for a refresher. Chances are they'll be able to fill you in.

Here's a quick primer for those who have never seen the TV show. A wish on a magical dragon scale transports Emmy and Max to Dragon Land. Their flying school-age dragon pals include big and fearful Ord, whip-smart but shy Cassie and the bickering two-headed brother and sister, Zak and Wheezie. Quetzal is the sage teacher at the School in the Sky.

Billed as an ``interactive adventure,'' ``Dragon Tales Live'' will feature singing and dancing. Young audience members - and the young at heart - are encouraged to sing and play along. The stage show also picks up on many of the same messages of cooperation that are a hallmark of ``Dragon Tales'' the TV program.

In fact, many of those sentiments may seem positively Hensonian.

``We're promoting the same educational values and lessons that we teach on 'Sesame Street.' They're all just as valid,'' says Kim Gladman, ``Dragon Tales Live's'' performance director, who serves as dance captain and head stage manager while the company is on the road. ``Here with 'Dragon Tales,' it's emotional things: overcoming your fears and learning how to speak up, cooperation.''

Each major character has an opportunity to successfully work through a particular problem or issue or demonstrate a strength. Max provides a voice of optimism when the quest gets rough while Emmy displays leadership. Ord grapples with one of his phobias; Cassie voices an opinion at a critical time and two-headed Zak and Wheezie learn - what else! - about compromise and working together.

Gladman knows all about such values. The L.A. native began her VEE career in 1984 as a performer for ``Sesame Street Live.'' In June, she switched to ``Dragon Tales.''

``I had never worked with children before, so it's a big learning experience for me,'' says Gladman. ``And where, with 'Sesame Street Live,' everything is a big, flashy Broadway production number, everything here springs from the story.''

``It moves a little slower,'' agrees Waters, who has helped launch 18 ``Sesame Street Live'' productions. ``There's a more direct plot and developed story. We interject a lot more music than you would find in any episode.''

DRAGON TALES LIVE: MISSING MUSIC MYSTERY

Where: Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

When: 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m., 2 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $15 to $40. Call [phone] or [phone].

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With Emmy riding Cassie, and Max aboard Ord, Dragon Land is the destination in ``Dragon Tales Live: Missing Music Mystery,'' at the Kodak Theatre.