STAGE REVIEW : ‘BLEACHER BUMS’ GOES ON AND ON

The Fourth of July has passed, and--as usual--the Cubs are far from first place. Not so their most dedicated fans, the Century City Playhouse’s “Bleacher Bums,” who retain their position at the top of the list of this city’s longest-running shows.

Judging from a recent performance of this amiable little comedy about the denizens of the stands at Wrigley Stadium, Ivan Spiegel’s production is as spirited as it was six years ago. The current peanut gallery includes Jeffrey Concklin, Alan Shearer, George Tovar, Peter de Luca, Pat Cupo, Laura Tate, Sharon Lyn Borne and Jeff Foster. They’re all fine.

Only two signs of strain are evident. First, there are a few odd gaps in the sound track. Was it always like this, or is the tape beginning to wear out?

Second, the management cancels performances if it hasn’t received 10 reservations a couple of hours before showtime--and this happened to two of the performances I wanted to see in the last few weeks. On such occasions, the staff tries to notify those who have reservations, before they reach the theater. Still, whatever happened to the idea that the show must go on?

Performances are purportedly held on Thursdays and Fridays at 8:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10 p.m. Though a recent Sunday performance almost drew a full house, the management advises that the best way to avoid a possible last-minute cancellation is to reserve tickets for the Friday or the early Saturday show.

The address is 10508 W. Pico Blvd., or phone (213) 839-3322.