Live 'Schoolhouse Rock' serves its function

Long before the days of Cartoon Network, children bolted out of bed on Saturday mornings to satisfy their cartoon fix. And tucked somewhere between "He-Man" and "Thundercats" and "Muppet Babies" were old-school animated cartoon shorts called "Schoolhouse Rock!" Readers of a certain age might remember the grammar-centric "Conjunction Junction" or "I'm Just a Bill," an infectious ditty about the process of legislation that aired regularly between 1973 and 1986.

It turns out there actually was a purpose for "Schoolhouse Rock!" besides the catchy tunes.

"It was supposed to be educational because there was conflict about violence on TV -- my Mom told me that," said Rachel Bryant, who is part of the ensemble cast of Main Street Youth Theatre's "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" which opens today.The show runs at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays with 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays.

Actually, "Schoolhouse Rock!" began as an advertising gimmick by writer David McCall, who was concerned about his son's math troubles. But over the years it's become something of a cultural touchstone, and a show that Main Street Youth Theatre organizers have been wanting to stage since last year.

"One of the reasons we couldn't do it was because it was written for a cast of six," says Jodi Layman, the show's director and choreographer. "We're known for using 20 kids. It's hard to choose 12 kids and turn the rest away."

The show opens with a teacher -- played by Leo Barros, a former teacher from Brazil -- who is worried about his first day of class when his television suddenly starts playing "Schoolhouse Rock!"

During a recent rehearsal, cast members excitedly talked about the upcoming performance -- and the many, many words they have to memorize. "I'm actually learning stuff. It gets in your head," Bryant said.

The educational musical also is heavy on audience participation, according to cast members. "The whole show is really high-energy," said cast member Abbe DeFoe. "It's almost like we're cartoon characters," added Keelin Sanz.