STAGE REVIEW : ‘NEW FACES’: LIGHT-HEARTED HIPNESS

Leonard Sillman’s six “New Faces” revues on Broadway between 1934 and 1956 introduced such talent as Henry Fonda, Imogene Coca, Eartha Kitt and Paul Lynde.

Three decades later, and in considerably less palatial environs, we get “New Faces of ’87 . . . But They’ve All Been Around,” at Pipeline’s Boyd Street Theatre. While the performers probably won’t become famous, the show does achieve qualities--a light-hearted hipness, a satisfying eclecticism--that were described as being present in the Sillman shows.

Of course, that was then, this is now, and standards of hipness have changed. In Pons Maar’s “Natural Enemies,” which starts the show, Maar--thin, balding yet still young--spouts nonsense in half a dozen registers while careening around the stage.

Much of Maar’s imagery is taken from popular culture, and occasionally he even approaches coherence, as in his dead-on imitation of Godzilla or his spirited recitation of excerpts from a schlocky screenplay. But coherence is not a high priority in what he calls his “spine-curdling look at modern life.” Spines curdle here precisely because Maar’s view of “modern life” is so splintered.

Compared to Maar, Max Headroom is a paragon of stability. But unlike the computer-generated Headroom, Maar’s physical presence is inescapable; underneath his hyped-up chatter is a gifted mime.

The pace slows for Shelley Bonus and her “The Transformation of Natalie Normal.” This is a Tomlinesque tale of “a human chameleon” who changes personalities to fit the dictates of a different authority figure for each stage of her life. Bonus isn’t nearly as funny as Tomlin, and her preaching on behalf of women’s self-esteem becomes heavy-handed. Yet her chameleonic abilities are indeed impressive.

Finally, Paul Bob presents “What the Humans Do,” a monologue combining routine youthful reminiscences with an appealing shaggy-dog story about a couple of extraterrestrials who become television news anchors. Bob lacks the performance skills of his predecessors and, on Sunday, stumbled over an unusual number of words. But his sound and lighting design help him and his alien friends create a mood of mild wonderment.

Performances are at 301 Boyd St., Saturdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. through May 31, with additional Sunday shows on June 7 and 14. Tickets: $8.50; (213) 629-2205.