DYNAMIC DUO

Vaudeville isn’t dead, after all. It was back in all its glory Saturday night at the Universal Amphitheatre with a well-staged, thoroughly likable show by Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds. They sang. They danced. They did shtick . Told jokes. Did impressions. And served as a reminder of an era when stars were groomed by studios to be total entertainers who’d be equipped to tackle just about anything.

Several songs in Saturday’s show were virtual anthems. A slimmed-down O’Connor sang the trouper’s theme song, “Make ‘Em Laugh,” and Reynolds offered a special material version of the survivor’s boast, “I’m Still Here.” O’Connor also provided the show’s driest humor when he struggled with “hard acid rock” (actually an old Tom Jones hit). Reynolds’ racy jokes gave the show a sassy, irreverent edge and balanced the emphasis on nostalgia. The show bogged down just once, during her belabored Barbra Streisand impression. Still, one couldn’t help wondering: Which of today’s stars will be able to put on so complete a show--and turn out an appreciative audience--four decades from now? That’s entertainment.