OCEANSIDE —- Humor, an ear-pleasing score, excellent costumes and a story that appeals to all ages help make up for a predictable story in the world premiere of “Evernight: The Musical” at Oceanside’s Star Theatre.

“Evernight” follows the journey of a brave soul looking to rescue a love, which is fairly predictable fairy tale territory. The only difference in this tale is that the one being rescued is a male warrior and the one doing the rescuing is his small but determined fiancee.

“Evernight”s lead character, Bryony, is played by single-named actress/singer Malee. She succeeds in grabbing the audience’s attention and hearts while she braves the forests of Evernight to get back her fiance. The audience was rooting for her every step of the way, and they showed it by erupting into applause every time she finished performing a song.

The children in the audience were captivated most with the clever, riddle-telling fox named Master Sho, played by Sunny Williams. Every wise remark that the fox made to Bryony, whom he helped through the forest, was met with a good amount of giggles. After the show, a group of girls were overheard telling each other that if the cast came out to meet everyone, they wanted a picture with Master Sho first.

Adult audience members seemed most amused by the six unqualified-but-merry river pirates. Clare V. Solly, who has a commanding voice, plays Firefly Jane, the captain of the makeshift pirate ship. Jane and her crew help Bryony and Master Sho reach the end of their journey, but not before making the grown-up audience laugh at their good-natured incompetence.

The central aspect of “Evernight” was the Celtic- and Japanese-inspired music. All songs were written and composed by the play’s writer, Maia Rodriguez, and set the mood for the different situations. With songs ranging from the cheerful and comedic “River Pirate Shanty” to the heart-string-pulling “Please Believe,” Rodriguez’s score is what makes the show. Director Matthew Snyder also did a good job pacing the production.

While all of the actors performed above and beyond expectations for community theater, one stood out. Rodriguez glowed while she performed the role of the evil fairy Muiraid, and it wasn’t just the sparkly makeup. She fully transforms into the villain, becoming a character comparable to Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch in “The Wizard of Oz.” The most memorable of Muiraid’s wicked qualities is her evil laugh, which rivals that of the late Vincent Price.

Besides the notable acting and singing, “Evernight” is also visually interesting. The set are impressive, but the costume design by Sandi Chan and makeup by Myra DeTate get an A-plus.

The three sunrise fairies, who help narrate the story in song, seemed a bit out of place but made up for it with their blue-, green- and orange-accented Grecian dresses and matching sparkly makeup, which was flamboyant without being distracting. The river pirate wardrobe matches their colorful personalities and while shabby, successfully avoids looking cheap.

Best of all is the costume for Master Sho, complete with a fox head, nose and tail.

I would recommend this show to families with children 13 and under who are looking for a short escape from reality. With aspects relatable to children and adults, this story will take your family out of this world and into the land of Evernight while teaching you lessons on bravery, forgiveness, loyalty and love.

“Evernight: The Musical”

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Star Theatre, 402 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside

Tickets: $7-$15

Info:

Web: startheatre.biz