But "Uncle Sherbert & the Haunted Sugar Shack," opening tonight at Mamiya Theatre, is a much sweeter confection. It is bristling with good spirit and sparkling with eager young talent.

"Our goal, as a performing-arts school, is to teach kids how to be good people," said Lisa Kimsey, director of The Movement Center. She wrote the storyline of the two-hour show, which incorporates well-known tunes and assembles 200 of the school's 500 students in 21 dance numbers and 300 costumes. The intent is that the production will instill in the young participants "a sense of pride and accomplishment."

Kimsey said the underlying motto is "you can't say can't." The school, like the show, helps all the kids — age 5 and older, plus adult instructors who also are performing on stage — strive to do their best. "If you show up, work on your part, you are part of our cooperative teamwork."

The kids also learn the dos and don'ts of theater, from tech director M (yes, that's his handle). In a rehearsal chat, M explained theatrical terms such as stage left and stage right, and etiquette for both performer and spectator.

The Movement Center stages a show every summer — this is the seventh — but "Uncle Sherbert" is the first that has an original story.

It's about the eccentric Sherbert, who owns a candy factory that appears to be haunted, and a group of children who want to find out if it is while exploring character traits that make the youngsters better people.

Alex Lum, 15, a Kalani High School junior, plays the title character. "It's such fun," he admitted at a rehearsal, sporting a cap with a propeller and a head of bleached blond hair (normally dark brown/black), erratically dyed in sherbet hues of pink, green, orange and yellow. "I figured, why not?"

Wearing an equally colorful patchwork coat, Lum is enjoying himself. "You have to be pretty fit," he said of his classes in jazz, tap, hip-hop and slam poetry. "But the show is a good outlet for me, and a chance to express myself." He sings "Believe in Yourself," the anthem from "The Wiz," which embodies The Movement Center's I-can-do-it theme.

Martha Guinan, mother of Ryan Guinan, a 17-year-old Moanalua High School student with Down's syndrome, said she totally endorses the "Sherbert" opportunities. Ryan appears as a Gummi bear. "He's never had a problem with self-confidence, but the school has given him the tools to express himself."

One of 150 parent volunteers, Guinan toils in the dressing room and assists with makeup; her carpenter husband John helps build and break down sets.

Rodney Chang, in real estate, has daughter Victoria, 10, and son, Zachary, 6, in the cast. "By volunteering, we get to meet a lot of other parents whose kids are also performing," said Chang. "It's terrific to be part of the excitement." Though he'll see the show from the wings, he said, "It's a pretty good show, not just a school recital."

"The biggest joy for me is seeing the looks on the faces of the kids when they go on stage and experience the wonder of theater," said Kimsey. "Particularly with the child who has struggled. We have some special-needs children who may make a boo-boo. If a little one cries, and it takes me to walk the child on stage, that's OK, too. It's all about what we can accomplish."