Action Aplenty in a River-Less ‘Willows’

“O bliss! O poop-poop! O my!� Mr. Toad has just discovered motor cars and that means big trouble for friends Ratty, Mole and Badger.

The Great American Children’s Theatre is back in town, this time with a buoyant, visually delightful staging of Toad’s adventures in Kenneth Grahame’s classic, “The Wind in the Willows.�

Though it’s presented in association with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills (before moving on to San Diego and San Bernardino), it’s not a musical.

Indeed, composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s instrumental punctuation is at times too understated.

But there’s action aplenty: stolen cars, shadowy caves, wild woods, a prison break and a battle with the wicked weasels. Brett Reynolds’ adaptation, comfortable staging by director Leslie Reidel and a jaunty cast bring it to life.

Naive little Mole (Rebecca Kessel), wise Badger (Michael Duncan) and practical but poetical Ratty (Stephen Hemming) deplore the behavior of blustery Toad (Paul Zawadsky), but loyally stand by him, come what may. Even if they have to fight the wicked, scheming weasels, led by the nasty Boss Weasel (Howard Lucas).

The actors are costumed with turn-of-the-century charm and expertly masked by Maurice Stein.

Allen H. Jones’ softly colored storybook set pieces slide, glide and pop up into view for a change of scene, complemented with great style by Spencer Moss’ expressive lighting that evokes storm, gloom or sun-washed mornings.

Red eyes shining in a spooky forest and an antic train chase in strobe light are audience favorites.

There is a major omission, however: the river. Grahame described it as a “sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling�; it was the all-embracing source of life for Grahame’s “little people.�

It is present only during a short, first-act rowboat trip across the stage with some splashing sound effects.

True, much of the action takes place away from the river, and this adaptation includes only the comic parts of Grahame’s multilayered classic, but even when we’re back at Ratty’s riverbank home, the waterway has disappeared and the water sounds are silent.

They are missed.

“The Wind in the Willows,� Wilshire Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills: Tuesday-Friday, 9:45 and 11:45 a.m. (dark Feb. 18), Saturday, 1 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m., through Feb. 23. Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway, San Diego: March 2-6, 9:45 and 11:45 a.m.; March 4, 9:30 and 11:15 a.m., 1 p.m.; March 7, 1 p.m. California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 West 4th St., San Bernardino: March 10-12, 9:45 and 11:45 a.m. $6-$15; (213) 480-3232, (714) 740-2000, (805) 583-8700, (619) 278-TIXS, (800) 852-9772). Running time: 1 hour, 10 minutes.