'101 DALMATIANS:' Sit. Stay. Smile.

Right out of the gate, the new 101 DALMATIANS Musical was not written for me or demographics similar to mine. It's not baby enough to be considered children's theatre, nor polished or bulky enough to be a typical flashy Loop arrival, but BT McNicholl and Dennis DeYoung's 101 DALMATIANS is the perfect winter family outing.  Based on Dodie Smith's novel -and not one of the Disney incarnations- 101 DALMATIANS has the feel and size of a bus-and-truck tour, but with larger-than-life talent and heart to fill the gaps.

When Pongo (James Ludwig) and Missus Pongo's (Catia Ojeda) puppies are pupnapped but the dastardly Cruella De Vil (the devilishly fun Sara Gettelfinger), they leave their "pets" behind (humans equipped with dog-eye-view inducing mini-stilts) to journey across England and back again.  The familiar plot is seen in both Disney's versions, but thanks to Dennis DeYoung's poppy score, the dogs get to rock out across the countryside.

Ludwig receives billing directly under Ms. Gettelfinger, but his presence leads the show.  With crisp dance moves and smooth vocals (a necessity heard for years in DeYoung's pop-tenor music), he successfully personifies the oh-so-cool dad he dreams of -and dreads- becoming.  And while McNicholl's doggy puns often get beaten over your head like a newspaper, Ludwig charmingly and unapologetically delivers his jokes with a winning smile. Channeling Liza Minnelli's lusciously tight speech pattern, Gettelfinger commands the stage as De Vil, who just began this leg of the tour (a fact evident in her sometimes trepidatious way of maneuvering the stage on her stilts). I was lucky enough to bring my younger sister, Laura, to the performance, who offered her own thoughts on the show.  "Cruella's laugh was really annoying but her singing was beautiful." Character-wise, yes, Gettelfinger was ruthless and vile, making me enjoy her creative demise all the more. But Laura nailed it 100% when it comes to Gettelfinger's beautifully brassy vocals.

The choice to have all the humans on stilts allows for a whimsical but often drably painted forced-perspective set design from Heidi Ettinger. Their elongated legs did offer some wonky looking choreography whenever Wayne Carlyle let them "dance," but the 8 dalmatian pups (led by the magnetic Sammy Borla) explode with charisma and charm during their Act 2 opener, "Break Out." As a team, they've mastered the unified group mentality of Carlyle's choreography.  And while Laura didn't care for "Moonlight Barking," I found its haunting refrain brimming with optimistic hope from the two devastated parents. DeYoung's score is fun, but Act 2 began to feel like HONK!; animals traveling cross country with every supporting character -often unnecessarily- receiving a musical number.  A few cuts here and there would have kept the attention of kids around me. "When are the real dogs coming back out?" was heard several times throughout the evening.

The kids were right: 101 DAMLATIANS' live dogs make only brief appearances throughout, giving the illusion of a stage full of canines. But the curtain call finale, full of tricks and gags (Laura said I laughed the most when a live dog lifted his leg to "pee" on a potted plant) had us eating out of the palm of their paws. All in all, 101 DALMATIANS was written with audience members in Laura's demographic in mind. Yet, seeing her -and the surrounding kids in the audience- have a blast allowed me forgive the occasionally draggy material.

PHOTO CREDIT: Joan Marucs.

The 101 DALMATIANS Musical runs through Sunday, February 28 at the Cadilliac Palace Theatre. For tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.