"SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK!" The Grand Theatre, through Oct. 24 (801-957-3322); running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (no intermission)

If you know that a noun is a person, place or thing, that a verb is what's happening and that bills sit on Capitol Hill waiting to be signed into law, then you, like millions of other Americans probably had a lesson or two ingrained in your head by "Schoolhouse Rock," the Emmy-Award-winning cartoon series that became a fixture of American television from 1973 to 1986.

The Grand Theatre has brought many of those beloved songs to the stage in "Schoolhouse Rock, Live!" an adaptation featuring 21 of the educational hits.

The short cartoons were shown at the end of Saturday morning shows on ABC and quickly became an iconic part of pop-culture history.

This cute production features of cast of six who do a good job of bringing enthusiasm to the songs. But "Schoolhouse Rock, Live!" is a show that will probably be seen differently through the eyes of adults and children.

For children, "Schoolhouse Rock, Live!" could be a great introduction to theater.

The show has the feel of a Saturday morning kids program rather than a traditional play. The songs are wrapped around an extremely loose storyline of a nervous teacher (Linton Dean) preparing for his first day of class.

Not knowing exactly what he'll say, five characters representing different facets of his personality appear and help him remember the days of watching the original "Schoolhouse Rock" series.

Shannon Musgrave singing "Interplanet Janet" is one of the highlights. The song also does a good job of interjecting humor into the fact that since the song was originally written, the solar system has shrunk by one planet, according to Pluto-studying scientists.

Musgrave also does good job with "Unpack Your Adjectives," while the ensemble does a nice job on "A Victim of Gravity" as they dance around the multilevel stage that resembles a bright TV playhouse.

For most adults, however, the magic of the cartoon series is simply not captured by the live production.

I couldn't help but have visions of the corresponding TV cartoon with the intro of each song.

The large football player with the No. 30 during "Three is a Magic Number." The conductor on top of the trains for "Conjunction Junction."

Perhaps it was me, but as each song started, I found myself longing to see the rudimentary animation, and watching the youthful cast likely not even old enough to remember the series, it just wasn't the same. The magic is lost.

One other criticism is the playbill. In a production based on education and school subjects, handing out a playbill with misspellings and a misprint of the play's title tends to set things off on the wrong foot.

Overall, the show makes for an entertaining light night of theater, particularly for families with children. If you're an adult looking for a little nostalgia, get there early to hear the original soundtrack being played — it was a nice touch.

e-mail: preavy@desnews.com