Gangster Spoof at Laguna Playhouse

At the Moulton Theatre, the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre is romping through its most ambitious production to date: Alan Parker’s stage version of his 1970s movie musical extravaganza, “Bugsy Malone,” the kid-sized, Prohibition-Era spoof with warring hoodlums, chorus girls, show-biz breaks, true love and gooey “Splurge Guns.”

Rarely are young performers given such a lavish setting in which to strut their stuff. Terrific period costumes by Brigitte Harper--cloche hats, furs and lace, smartly tailored suits and wide-brimmed hats in miniature--and set designer Robert L. Smith’s multilevel city buildings and speak-easy deserve star billing.

Performance quality varies--this isn’t an old Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney MGM musical where the kids next door have become seasoned knock-your-socks off pros overnight.

But the 40-member cast is capable and even provides a few memorable moments, despite solo vocals that wander rather disconcertingly in the upper ranges. Unlike the cinematic “Bugsy,” with children lip-syncing as adults sing Paul Williams’ tuneful score, here the actors do their own singing.

The results are mixed, but group efforts--such as the raucous speak-easy theme, “Fat Sam’s Grand Slam” and “Down and Out,” with James Bryant’s Bugsy soloing with a chorus of Depression-Era outcasts--are winners.

Many of the age-8-and-up actors concentrate so hard on getting lines and movement right--which they do, thanks to Joe Lauderdale’s tight staging--that they lack a real sense of character.

But some come up with a little extra: Sara Lepere in a graceful dance solo to the plaintive “Tomorrow Never Comes”; Claire Gaboury’s fetching Southern vamp, Tallulah; Sabrina Harper as Bugsy’s flame, Blousey Brown, a sweet-faced ingenue from an earlier age; irrepressible Ashley Morgan as Dandy Dan’s moll, Louella, the stereotypical gum-chewing, nail-filing dumb broad--”May I ask to whom I am talkin’?”

As Fizzy, Drew Ostrowski’s low-key narration is offset by his skillful miming of complicated keyboard rhythms, while Josh Wheeler’s Fat Sam and Brad Bredeweg’s Dandy Dan give their bad guys some clout.

Romantic moments and expository dialogue bring the energy level down, but the ensemble numbers, plus Tim Klega’s effervescent choreography, bounces it up again.

“Bugsy Malone,” Moulton Theatre, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, (714) 494-8021. Today, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Tickets: $8 per adult; $5 per child age 13 and younger.