What is it with Snow White? She’s one popular girl and this Lythgoe Family Production at the Pasadena Playhouse, “A Snow White Christmas,”  is better than those two recent Snow White movies–at least for the kids.

The run-time (just a hair over two hours) might be too long for young children to take, but otherwise children will enjoy the contemporary music in an atmosphere that encourages audience participation. There are enough local and topical jokes in Kris Lythgoe’s script to keep parents and other adults awake. Maybe you’ll even find your inner child and enjoying hissing when the Wicked Queen plots her dastardly deeds or cheering when our handsome Prince takes to the stage.

The Wicked Queen (Charlene Tilton) is Snow White’s aunt and now Queen of North Hollywood. Snow White (Ariana Grande) is an good girl who has just turned 18 and, as an adult, her beauty is now compared to the aging queen. The Magic Mirror (mostly played by Neil Patrick Harris with a few notable exceptions) announces that the Wicked Queen is no longer the fairest beauty in the land. The queen then has her loyal servant, Herman the Huntsman (David Figlioli) and the court jester Muddles (Jonathan Meza) take Snow White to the woods. Instead of killing her, they tell her to hide with the seven dwarfs (played by two separate teams: the Red Apple team and the Snow White team).

The dwarfs and Prince Harry (Curt Hansen) will, of course, save Snow White, and along the way we’ll hear a few short jokes and even a few reflecting on the recent shenanigans of another Prince Harry. Kids might not get the “Dallas” inspired one-liners, recognizing Tilton’s role as Lucy Ewing. Tilton gets to chew up the scenery and Hansen and Grande make a cute couple, just shining with virtue. However, no one can outshine Little Man when he gets on stage. Now that’s the cast member I wanted to meet after the show and I’m sure that’s true for many audience members. Meza helps keep the kids involved.

The show includes songs that will appeal to everybody and surely most of the kids there knew: “Born this Way,” “Voodoo Love,” “Toxic,” “Thriller,” “Celebration”  and even “YMCA” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Spencer Liff’s choreography features some awe-inspiring moves, some coming from very young dancers (The Spencer Liff Dancers). Director Bonnie Lythgoe might allow Meza go a little long on some of his monologues. A bit of tightening might have shaved the time down to 90-minutes, a length more suitable for smaller children. That’s really a small quibble.

Kris Lythgoe is the son of Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Bonnie is his mother and although she’s split with Nigel, they still work together. In England, pantomimes are part of a Christmas tradition and are not wordless performances by mimes, but humorously told fairy tales with some contemporary references (from witty quips to snippets of popular songs). Now the Lythgoe Family Productions has brought pantos to Pasadena. Perhaps, this will be the beginning of a new tradition. “A Snow White Christmas” isn’t great theater as art, but it is great family fun and will hopefully encourage more children to love live theater.

“A Snow White Christmas” continues until 30 December 2012 at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Tuesdays-Fridays, 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Games and activities begin 90 minutes before all performances. Dark 18, 19 and  25 Dec.