Broadway and regional theatre are often rife with musicals that rework old themes, old songs or both. While these music remix musicals have a place in the pantheon, it is as refreshing as the autumn wind across the plains of Kansas to see something as original and new as the musical version of "Little House on the Prairie." Please note this review may contain spoilers for those who do not remember the story line.

Many young women got their first taste of adventure from the historical books of Laura Ingalls Wilder, written, when she was grown, based on stories recollected, as told by her mother, father, and sister Mary. There is some fiction afoot in the earlier books, though the succeeding books, where Laura ages, become almost entirely autobiographical. While the boys in my school read war stories, we read about the settling of the American Midwest.

Stories about frontier life sparked many a child's imagination. "Little House on the Prairie" adapts these favorite stories with a dream team of musical theatre talent, including Tony Award winner Rachel Sheinkin, Academy Award winner Rachel Portman, and Donna di Novelli for book, music and lyrics, and helmed by "Little Mermaid" and opera director Francesca Zambello. The first production ran July 26 to October 19, 2008 at Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater. The run at Paper Mill Playhouse, from now through October 10, which kicks off a tour of 22 cities, presents a somewhat different show from the one at the Guthrie though, with only two songs remaining from the original and the first act almost thoroughly reworked. This is one of the biggest events for children, as well as for adults who remember the children inside, and it is thoroughly enjoyable.

The show has wonderful painted scrims, part of Adrianne Lobel's spare and functional set design, which are artfully lit by Mark McCullough throughout and create space, time and the sense of wide open spaces. Seamless in execution, the set pieces whirl around as if carried themselves by the prairie winds, Zambello's vision comes alive.

We first meet Laura after the overture has conjured up the wide open spaces with Copland-esque splendor. Kara Lindsay's Laura is a pre-teen when we meet her, growing faster than her skirts can keep up with her. She runs like the gamine colt that she is, poised on the razor's edge between child and woman. Though she's more the child when we meet, we already sense the places that Laura will take us through the evening. When her family enters, Steve Blanchard as Charles/Pa strikes the right chord to resonate father-ness while showing the ambition-for better life for his family as well as adventure-as discussion ensues about carving out their piece of manifest destiny. Melissa Gilbert as Caroline/Ma received a big round of applause from the people over, say, 30 in the crowd who grew up on weeknights and re-runs and watched her grow to her own womanhood on the small screen. Sisters Mary (Alessa Neeck) and Carrie (Carly Rose Sonenclar) try to cover for their wayward tomboy sister, and offer to bring her home.

When we meet the Homesteaders, Almanzo Wilder (Kevin Massey) stands out in the land claims office as he explains that while he needs to be 21 to make a claim on land, the earth, sky, weather, dirt, and more don't care how old or young he is, if he can handle it. He and Charles escape a clash that ensues among the other men, then the family moves out to De Smet. The Oleson family runs the general store, and Mr. Oleson (Todd Thurston) has two children. Nellie (Kate Loprest) and Willie (Michael Boxleitner) have very different relationships with the Ingalls girls. Nellie is the simpering "Mean Girls" proto-queen bee, who nearly always manages to get her way, except when locking horns with Laura. Loprest plays this role with an enchanting gleeful abandon that conjures up a vision of an evil love child of "Legally Blonde" meets "Wicked." The town is full of settlers as well, played by a talented ensemble, consisting of Christian Whelan, Meredith Inglesby (who is Miss Wilder-Almanzo's school teaching sister, as well as the benighted Mrs. Brewster), Shawn Hamilton, Will Ray, Kurt Engh, Jessica Hershberg, Caroline Innerblichler, Brian Muller, Taylor Leigh Bera, Lizzie Klemperer, Garen McRoberts, Gayle Samuels and Dustin Sullivan, who mix and mingle, at various times, as townspeople, men in line for the land clerk, Independence Day celebrants, and settlers all.

There are many beautiful parts to this show, and several linger long afterward. The difficulty of carving a life out of the wilderness is made very clear and when the family suffers through sickness that leaves Mary without her sight, the sharing between Laura and Mary and, especially, the song "I'll Be Your Eyes" are extremely powerful.

There are echoes of Laura in Caroline, as well, in which we see that the apple and the tree really do remain quite close. In addition, there are clever bits of staging, as suggestions of houses and split rail fences and wheat move in and out. Rings set artfully on the stage act as horses, when long leather reins are attached, and the horse race on Independence Day is a truly kinetic affair. When Almanzo picks Laura up in Brewster to bring her home for the weekend, they do a number, "Faster," which is comical.

Alessa Neeck's Mary is reminiscent in some ways of early Olivia de Havilland. The Melanie sweetness that has surprising steel underneath and the dramatic journey, as Mary becomes a solid woman in her own right, are extremely enjoyable.

Adults watching this story will welcome the subtle touches in Charles and Caroline's relationship that makes them fully three dimensional. When they try to keep the family playfully warm in "Fire in the Kitchen", moments flash between Caroline and Charles that help you understand their children were not born of boredom, but of love. Moreover they still are very attracted to one another. When Laura and Almanzo start to kindle, there is also chemistry afoot, as well as a sense of civilization that's missing from most shows today. They treat one another with kindness, gentility, and a tenderness that resonates. And we see that the adult relationship, modeled by her parents, echoes into Laura's falling in love.

Fourteen shows of the run are already sold out. If you feel this is a bit of nostalgia, that's great! If you are interested in seeing a musical that is not derivative of Billboard's Top 40 from the last 30 years-not that there's anything wrong with those-then you'll enjoy this breath of truly fresh air. Don't feel like you need to have (or borrow) children to get the most out of this emotionally exciting new musical.

The "Little House on the Prairie-the Musical" performance schedule is: Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 & 7 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 & 7 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 & 7 p.m. through October 10. Single tickets range in price from $25 to $92. Student rush tickets are $20 and are available on the day of performance in person with current student ID. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 973/376-4343, at the Paper Mill Box Office on Brookside Drive in Millburn, New Jersey, or online at www.papermill.org. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 25% discount on tickets and should call 973/379-3636 extension 2438.