‘TOMFOOLERY’

Whatever happened to Tom Lehrer, you ask? Well, the Harvard mathematician-turned-satirical songwriter--who penned such ditties as “National Brotherhood Week,” “The Vatican Rag” and the immortal “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park”--is alive and well and living (in absentia, anyway) in “Tomfoolery,” an entertaining compendium of Lehrer tunes currently tinkling ivories at the Burbage.

If anything, there’s too much Tom in “Tomfoolery”--some 36 songs, in fact--and the material is often stretched dangerously thin. Still, producer/director Ivan Spiegel brings a lively sense of fun to the proceedings and has updated many lyrics in a manner that suggests just how far ahead of his time Lehrer really was.

The four-person cast--Jo Anne Kurman, Maureen Mehrson, Robin Nicholas and Richard Roemer--positively teems with music-hall spirit. All have their moments, but it’s Nicholas who best captures the old Lehrer bite with a rendition of the fast-talking “Chemistry Song” that could well make him a prime candidate for the next Federal Express commercial.

The high jinks are amusingly choreographed by Maureen Kennedy Samuels and the costumes by Make Believe Inc., ranging from Carmen Miranda outfits for “Pollution” to leather and whips for “The Masochism Tango,” are as much fun as the songs themselves. David S. Kates provides the indefatigable piano accompaniment.

The tomfoolery at 2330 Sawtelle Blvd. runs Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m., indefinitely; (213) 478-0897.