We were mystified, amused and at times even mortified.

As I sat in a packed auditorium at Centerstage Theatre on Sunday afternoon with my husband and two of our children, ages 2 and 20, I found myself laughing aloud non-stop at the theatre’s production of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

The performance had all the ingredients of the traditional “Jack and the Beanstalk” fairytale — the milk cow, magic beans, giant beanstalk and a giant.

But who would’ve expected to see Alan Bryce — Centerstage’s artistic director who played the character Dame Trot — come on stage like a wrecking ball? Dressed as singer Miley Cyrus, Bryce wore tight underwear and sat on a wrecking ball prop. It is this kind of out-of-nowhere act that caught the audience off balance and kept us entertained throughout the two hour show.

According to Centerstage, their traditional English “panto” pokes fun at society’s norms and twists the songs of the day. Characters, for example, poked fun at the Performing Arts and Conference Center, Fife and the gay community in Seattle’s Capitol Hill.

The audience was included in the production and we were prompted to cheer when Brynne Geiszler, playing the Fairy Sugarsnap, came on stage, or utter “boo” when the evil Hefferlumphenstein, played by Brock Madden, came on.

But the best part of the show for me was seeing my 2-year-old’s eyes widen when a family of giants entered the stage. She squealed when the baby giant said, “Poo, poo.” Our 20-year-old, a “Ghostbusters” fanatic, said he was not expecting Centerstage to tie in “Ghostbusters” with “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

During the intermission, I spoke with Federal Way resident Julie Hiller. She said her family attends Centerstage’s shows every season and it’s part of their holiday tradition. I can see why.

If you haven’t seen “Jack and the Beanstalk” yet, it shows through Dec. 21. For more information, visit www.centerstagetheatre.com