Maybe we shouldn't have expected the play to follow the Disney version. It's incredible to me that anyone would think this play would appeal to anyone regardless of age. The play was set in Italy and they even spoke Italian in parts for no particular reason. The two "lovers" acted as if they were marionettes holding their arms out and tip-toeing sideways, again for no particular reason. It was just a bunch of dialogue that wasn't funny or entertaining. Every few minutes an annoying slide whistle would blow and the actors would extend their arms as if to say “Ta-Da.” The kids had tons of excited enthusiasm at the start but by the middle many were drifting off to sleep.
This production was so incredibly bad that we couldn’t understand how someone could possibly think this thing was the least bit entertaining. I don’t fault the actors at all since they were all quite good but were just stuck inside this junk.