Kids grow up so fast. I took my 7 year old to see "Piggy Nation", and while he had a very good time, he also commented that the show is was obviously for “little kids”.  I would have to agree that the target audience for this enjoyable little production is something under 7 or 8, and probably over 2 or 3 years old.

The premise to the story of this charming children's musical by Richard Rosser and Alec Wells is that the police force of Piggy Nation issues tickets for quality of life infractions, i.e, for people (or animals) that are acting piggish. Was someone too loud? They get a ticket!  Did someone not pick up after their pet's poop? Then they get a ticket, too!

The head of Piggy Nation's Piggy Patrol is Hank Hamhock, an amply large and robust piggy played by Jara Jones in a manner reminiscent of Ralph Kramden. The show opens on the first day of his son Sammy's summer break from school. Sammy, played with great energy by Luke Anthony, gets to tag along and see what dear old dad actually does every day. He follows Hank as he ambles through his day, only to discover that, however accidentally, his father is the worst of all the piggies in town.

As we follow Officer Hamhock and Sammy, we meet all kinds of piggies and learn that being a piggy has nothing to do with what animal you are: it's how thoughtful you are to others. All along the way, there is one uplifting song after another.  And the supporting cast, all playing multiple roles, is youthful, charming and fun, with a standout performance by Kristin Guerin as Captain Dana Deerling, for which she created one of the most compelling gibberish fake languages I have ever heard.

Given the very young ideal demographic for this show, the 60-minute run time may be a bit long. This may be true for parents as well, since there is no double entendre in this material to keep them occupied. Regardless, the show is charming and lively, with fun music and a good set of teaching lessons one can use with your child afterwards.