Just like love, home is where you find it and, also like love, it can happen in the most surprising and mysterious of ways.

That’s the message in the glorious production of the classic book, "James and the Giant Peach," that opened its First Stage production Friday night at the Marcus Center. This production, under the thoughtful and insightful direction of Matt Daniels is truly entertainment for everyone of every age.

It is First Stage at its absolute finest.

This musical adaptation of the 1961 classic by Roald Dahl has been seen in other theaters around the country since this 2013 version, but I can’t imagine any of them being able to hold a candle to this production.

Almost anyone who has been a child since the mid-1960s is familiar with the bones of the story.

Young James has been left an orphan after his parents were killed in an accident. He lives at a home until he's sent to live with his only relatives, aunts Spiker and Sponge.

These two make Cinderella’s evil stepsisters look like siblings of the year, and James is dragged through drudge to help keep his crazy aunts alive. He meets a man of magic who promises to create a potion to make James happy and send him on wonderful adventures.

But James spills the potion on a peach tree and creates a giant peach. I mean a really giant peach. The aunts, knowing a good thing when they see it, try to capitalize on it and raise money on promises and sightseeing tours.

James, however, finds a spot of shelter from his aunts inside the peach, and the adventure commences, with James and five life-sized insects sailing on the fruit across the Atlantic Ocean from England to New York.

As the journey moves, it becomes clear that James may certainly miss the home with his parents, but that he has found home is not just where you love but it can be a place where you live with those who care for and support you.

The telling of this story is a challenge in live theater, but this production makes use of incredibly innovative ways to do so.

We are treated to rear production shadow puppetry to show us everything from the aunts house on a hill to a view of a peach landing on the spire of the Empire State Building. We see a giant half peach on the stage, covered by its odd lot of passengers in a set designed by Kristin Ellert.

The story, though, is told in large measure by the actors who are a spectacular ensemble. Luke Brotherhood, a familiar name in Milwaukee, is a solid and steady James, combining the kind of youthful exuberance with a kind of wisdom born of loneliness and courage.

The shining stars of this production are Amber Nicole Dilger and Jenny Wanasek as the two sisters, Spiker and Sponge. They are evil, of course, but they are also the main source of humor in this production. An audience would get worn out if it was just one frightful event after another, but these two provide breathing room during the show. When Wanasek, who admits to having a "body built for comfort" sprays canned whipped cream into her mouth, the audience roared with laughter.

This show is a triumph for an entire team, but I have rarely seen a play anywhere that is such a reflection of the sensibilities and skills of a director. This has Daniels all over it.

He has found a home in recent years at First Stage, both as an actor and as a director. As an actor, he has a vast array of skills and can stretch in almost any direction needed by a character.

Among all of his virtues, however, the one that has always struck me the most is his movement. He is as graceful an actor as you will ever see. He never makes an idle move but always has a purpose for each and every step, glance or wave of a hand. Watching him on a stage is like taking a master class in stage movement.

And this play is a reflection of those skills.

The music is fun and not particularly memorable, but it’s marvelously performed, and the story moves with the kind of pace it needs. Watching the intricate movement of the giant insects, a ladybug, an earthworm, a grasshopper, a centipede and a spider, you can see Daniels’ hand in the movement.

Many children have read the book and have seen the film. The fun thing for parents to do is take them to this play and see how it fits in with the other two. It is also fun for the parents.

"James and the Giant Peach" runs through Nov. 15 and information on showtimes and tickets is available here.