STAGE REVIEW : Useless to Argue With ‘Beauty Shop’s’ Success

Question: What do “Steel Magnolias” and “Beauty Shop” have in common?

Answer: Both take place in a beauty shop; both are playing in theaters with the word Wilshire in their name (The Wilshire Theatre for “Magnolias,” the Wilshire Ebell for “Shop”); both have their share of flaws and are undeniable hits.

“Magnolias” was reviewed in these pages July 17. “Beauty Shop,” which has been in and out of town a dozen times since May, 1987, managed, until now, to escape the attention of the white (as in Caucasian) press. But not that of a devoted, overwhelmingly black following, wooed chiefly by radio spots. Written, directed and produced by Shelly Garrett, “Beauty Shop” packs them in. At Friday’s performance, the laughter never stopped.

This much said, “Beauty Shop” is also a sociological phenomenon: a black (as in African-American) romantic comedy with black appeal in mind. Except for a misplaced reference to battered wives and lots of unearned humor at the expense of milquetoast or delinquent husbands (big items here), forget crossover issues, timeliness or punch. This is not August Wilson or Charles Fuller territory.

By the usual American (meaning Anglo-European) standards, “Beauty Shop” is a sentimental, poorly structured, badly directed, unevenly performed, self-congratulating show. But where is it written that those standards fit? You might as well apply the laws of physics to Dante’s Inferno.

Garrett has not written a great play, but he’s written a moneymaker that lives by mainstream aspirations. He goes for the glitz. He also believes that when you’ve paid your money, you deserve a heaping plate. The show goes up at 8:30 and comes down at 11:45. In between there is comedy, melodrama, Chippendale’s, Las Vegas and a Cinderella story.

At the Pamper Me beauty shop in Los Angeles, friends and colleagues help roly-poly cosmetician Margaret (Adrian Y. Black) celebrate her 30th birthday with a party and a male stripper. Act I sets it up by introducing us to co-workers and customers; Act II is the party--with some curious turns of events and a finale that’s everyone’s wish fulfilled.

None of it really adds up and takes forever not to, but there’s room for some funny one-liners and for the irrepressible Chris, a gay colleague, played to a campy fare-thee-well by Theo (T) Fitzgerald. There are also moralistic asides, the unconvincing marital wars of blimpy Cybil (Angela Gordon) and hen-pecked Herman (Robert Johnson), a mini-chorus line, a tasteless burlesque by a stripper manque , another by a stripper timide and that sexually suggestive fairy-tale finale.

Never have so many derived so much from so little. That goes for Shelly Garrett Productions too. Encouraged by this show’s success, Garrett is selling twofers to “Beauty Shop” audiences for his new play, “The Living Room,” at the Coronet. To argue artistic merit in the face of such good marketing is to argue how many angels fit on the head of a pin.

At 4401 W. 8th St., Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 8:30 p.m.; Sundays 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. until Aug. 27. Tickets: $21.50-$23.50; (213) 939-1128 or 480-3232.