KENNEDY CENTER'S MILLENNIUM STAGE PRESENTS 'THE SIGN OF THE SEAHORSE' The iTheatrics All-Stars will peform 'The Sign of the Seahorse' on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on Saturday. BY COLLETTE CAPRARA FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR It's a first, and it's fun, fascinating and free. That's the performance of "The Sign of the Seahorse" musical, which will debut Saturday at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Performed by a stellar cast of iTheatrics All-Stars, ranging in age from 9 to 16, the production closely follows its namesake, Graeme Base's classic picture book that tells in rhyme "a tale of greed and high adventure." As the story unfolds, the under(sea)world mobster, Gropmund Grouper and his henchmen--the Swordfish and sharks Stan and Ted--have concocted a scheme to trash the reef habitat in order to take control of it. As poisonous oil (secretly released from a sunken barrel by Ted) blackens the ocean, Pearl Trout responds to an inner calling to seek a new environment where her friends and family can safely live. Meanwhile, Pearl's beloved Corporal Bert and his Soldiercrab comrades assume their mission to track down the source of the creeping plague. After numerous harrowing adventures and acts of awesome bravery, the forces of good win out in the end, the community of sea friends finds a new pristine habitat, and evildoers get their just desserts. "For one hour, the audience will be swept away to a wonderful underwater world where anything can happen," said the play's director, Marty Johnson, "Our job is to make sure that in that hour, they'll smile, they'll laugh, and they'll be entertained. And kids will be inspired as they follow the adventures of those brave fish who believe in themselves and follow their dreams." Every aspect of the production--from sets, to costumes, to choreography--has been created through innovative elements of simple suggestion, giving free rein to the imaginations of the performers and audience to flesh out the action in their own unique way. "Our job with iTheatrics is to show that you don't have to have a Broadway budget to have a Broadway-caliber production," Johnson said. As for props, Chinese lanterns are transformed into huge underwater puppets, a big piece of cloth and an umbrella becomes a believable scary eel, and 25 yards of black material convincingly represents the dreaded oil spill. Fish costumes go beyond the predictable fin and scales and capture the personality of each character. For example, Mafia don Grouper wears a bowler hat, a big fancy tie and a long coat with a pattern that appears a bit slimier than the rest, while the sea horse's hair is moussed back and up to resemble a fin. And, with the guidance of choreographer Steven Kennedy, the various sea creatures fine-tune basic dance steps to connote their specific characters. For example, the fish have a fluid movement while the crabs' moves are more stiff and angular. In no small part, the success of this production is owed to the enthusiasm, talent and spirit of iTheatrics' company of young actors. Johnson has committed his career to introducing children to the transforming realm of live performance, and says that the organization's programs serve a broad mix of youths who share a common bond of enjoying what they do and having fun, while putting forth serious effort to do their best. Collette Caprara is a local artist and freelance writer. What: "Sign of the Seahorse" When: 6 p.m. Saturday Where: Kennedy Center's Millennium Theater, 2700 F St. N.W., Washington, D.C. Cost: Free Info: 800/444-1324 or 202/467-4600; kennedy-center.org