Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of “Dear Santa” invites you into the heart of the North Pole for a glimpse of the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the biggest night of the year for Santa and his elves: Christmas Eve.

The zany cast of characters in this cartoonish comedy faces the challenge of making sure each and every child in the world receives the gift they deserve, as roadblock upon roadblock arises.

Kerry Bringman’s Santa is always cheerful as he encourages all at the workshop to keep the spirit of Christmas, and attempts to inspire the spirit lost by the young Kit Bishop (Katie McClure), who faces the challenges of growing up without her father.

McClure is great as the young girl with an attitude, who stowsaway in the North Pole supply train to hand deliver a “Dear Santa” letter from her little brother, Michael (played by Joseph Allegro, who also doubles as the elf Fiddlesticks).

Snickering, mischievous elves work hard to get enough toys made by deadlines, but not without regular breaks into song and dance routines ranging from a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” to a parody of ” Hard Knock Life” from the Broadway musical “Annie.”

Blake R. York is entertaining as the good-hearted, bumbling shop manager Bozidar, whose mix-ups of common American metaphors garnered many a chuckle from the audience.

Kate Russell as Octavia, the air-headed housekeeper, is also quite funny in her role, especially in the second half of the production, when her comedic performance really shines.

Christopher Cline as the high-pressure sleigh salesman Lou Flapdoodle is full of energy and often hilarious in the role. Santa’s attachment to his old sleigh creates a challenge for Flapdoodle, whose nickname “Lucky Lou” means he has always been able to close a deal, until now.

“Dear Santa” is great for children, and entertaining for adults as well. Through the laughs created by the many off-the-wall characters, the spirit of the Christmas season beams.

Norm Foster’s story is well portrayed through the casting, direction and set of the artistic staff at TLT.

The simple layout of the scene, which is split between Santa’s office and his workshop, is noteworthy for its attention to detail in both rooms. Sound and lighting effects were minimal but well timed, and accented the musical renditions and scene changes well.

“Dear Santa” runs through Dec. 21 with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $18 for seniors, students and military. A pay-what-you-can performance is at 8 p.m. Dec. 4. Tacoma Little Theatre is located at 210 N. ‘I’ St, (253) 272-2281, www.tacomalittlethatre.com.