Judy's Scary Little Christmas: L.A. Weekly Review (2)

PICK OF THE WEEK

JUDY'S SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS

Returning after an engagement last year, what starts with thoroughly enjoyable camp dissolves into some of the most bizarre deconstruction of a genre I've ever seen. Act 1 begins as a frothy little riff on a fictitious Judy Garland 1959 Christmas special. A spot-on impression by the star's contemporary doppelgänger, Connie Champagne, is matched by an equally sharp re-creation of a breezy Bing Crosby, by the uncanny Sean Smith. They chat happily as the camera rolls, then booze it up during breaks. They soon welcome Liberace (Don Lucas in the evening's only caricatured performance) and Ethel Merman (properly and crassly portrayed by Lauri Johnson). Add perky dancers and fine accompaniment by Brent Crayon to snappy dialogue by James Webber and David Church, along with Joe Patrick Ward's original songs and Kay Cole's adept staging, and you've got a fine evening of accomplished, light silliness. But wait, there's more: Richard Nixon (Eric Anderson), Lillian Hellman (Jan Sheldrick) and Joan Crawford (Joanne O'Brien) also show up to darken Judy's door. Court Theater, 722 N. La Cienega Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 & 7 p.m. (no perf Dec. 25; added perf Mon., Dec. 29, 8 p.m.); thru Dec. 29. (323) 960-4410. Written 12/11/2003 (Tom Provenzano)