Dancing forest fairies. A best friend that's half-man, half-dragon. A giant spider that talks in riddles. No, it's not a flashback to the time you followed the Dead. It's TYKEs' (Theatre Young Kids Enjoy) musical production of "Sleeping Beauty."

"This is not Disney's ‘Sleeping Beauty,'" says director Sandi Henschel. "It's more about the prince than Sleeping Beauty. As he rescues her, he finds himself."

Like "Wicked," this show also gives the audience a peep at the relationship between two witches. Issues? They've got plenty.

After finding Sleeping Beauty - nee Briar Rose - abandoned in the woods, the good witch wants to give her to the childless King and Queen. Her sister, the bad witch, agrees, as long as the child dies before she's 16. The good witch switches things up, and Briar Rose falls asleep for 100 years instead.

Enter Briar Rose's pal, Prince Owain. Although gawky and utterly void of the customary princely virtues, he embarks on a mission to save his friend, encountering a fantastic menagerie of creatures.

Artist Shawn Dunwoody created the whimsical Spider King, voiced by actor Jeff Moon. Henschel's inspired staging - including a hide-and-seek segment played in the audience - will hold the interest of theatergoers ages 4 and up.

See "Sleeping Beauty" at the School of the Arts, 45 Prince Street, on Saturday, May 12, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. Show runs two hours, with intermission. Visit www.tykestheatre.org or call 723-6080.