‘Tomfoolery’ Does It Strictly for Big Laughs : Grove Production of the Revue Based on Tom Lehrer’s Protest Songs Doesn’t Do Him Social Justice

Tom Lehrer, a Harvard-educated mathematician, accidentally became a troubadour of his times--the ‘50s and ‘60s--when songs he’d written for his own amusement turned out to amuse others as well. As performed in college coffeehouses and urban cafes, such songs as “The Old Dope Peddler,” “Pollution” and “The Masochism Tango” became favorites of sophisticates eager for a witty perspective on modern problems.

“Tomfoolery,” being staged by the Grove Shakespeare Festival at the Gem Theatre through Aug. 10, is a revue of 26 of Lehrer’s tunes. The thematic arena of the material is as modern as ever: Lyrics talk about sex, drugs, murder and nuclear war--subject matter put into high relief by Lehrer’s refreshing, optimistic melodies, cheery parlor piano tunes that tinkle with the innocence of small-town American life. One song, “I Got It From Agnes,” is more topical than ever, given its eerie applicability to the AIDS epidemic.

But, as adapted by Cameron Mackintosh and Robin Ray, the revue pushes for a musical-comedy feel that is at odds with the essential simplicity of the songs. The schematic arrangement of the numbers, and the too-smart patter between them, tell us little about Lehrer or his era but a lot about Mackintosh and Ray, who seem determined to transform genteel social protest into big laughs and big production numbers.

An attempt to update the lyrics by replacing names from then with names from now further illustrates the production’s fundamental distrust of the strength of Lehrer’s work. This basic lack of appreciation for the very songs the production purports to showcase is especially evident during the finale: “We Will All Go Together When We Go” is one of Lehrer’s most deliriously sardonic compositions, but instead of singing it, the company uses it for curtain call music.

Cyrus Parker-Jeannette’s direction doesn’t help things. The songs’ rhymes and sensibilities are frequently upstaged by props, choreography (also handled by Parker-Jeannette) and cute byplay between the performers.

Among the five singers, Amy Griffin’s bright tones and unself-conscious effervescence transcend the prevailing hard-sell staging. Jerry Siggins, Robert Tucker and John Ellington manage some unaffected fun in the college songs they sing together, although Siggins allows his final solo to become a joke.

For about a third of the numbers, Ellington provides piano accompaniment, which is otherwise from a tape recorded by the musical director, Chuck Estes. The set by Suzie K. Goff has a distinctly Deco ambience that evokes neither Lehrer’s modernity nor our own. The costumes by Laura E. Deremer and lighting by David M. Darwin suffer from the general overkill.

“Tomfoolery”

A Grove Shakespeare Festival production. Music and lyrics by Tom Lehrer, adapted by Cameron Mackintosh and Robin Ray. Directed and choreographed by Cyrus Parker-Jeannette. Musical direction by Chuck Estes. Scene design by Suzie K. Goff. Lighting design by David M. Darwin. Costume design by Laura E. Deremer. With John Ellington, Amy Griffin, Jerry Siggins, Robert Tucker and Michele Loven. At the Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 and 7:30 p.m., through Aug. 10. Tickets: $16 to $20. Student, senior citizen and group discounts available. Information: (714) 636-7213.