STAGE REVIEW : Fine ‘Monkey’ Business at the Pantages

True, “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” but a malfunctioning computer in the ticketing network did cause a 30-minute delay in the opening of this provocatively titled comedy by Don Evans at the Pantages Tuesday.

A good thing too, because some 15 minutes into the show, late-comers were allowed through the doors and were treated to a hilarious, unpremeditated monologue by actor Lewis Dix, who stopped playing the role of Caleb Johnson long enough to berate the predominantly black audience. “We held the curtain 25 to 30 minutes and you folks still comin’ in late,” Dix said with deliberate colloquialism to guffaws from the public. “You let me know when you’re ready. I love my people, but they late . White people been here since four .”

The stragglers eventually settled in and Dix resumed playing Johnson, prefacing it with, “Well, as I was saying a long time ago . . . .” This pointed up the most captivating aspect of this evening of rich surprises and vibrant self-parody: its fearless unconcern with offending absolutely everyone.

Most of Evans’ jokes are shamelessly self-directed (see the title) or, when they’re other-directed, openly confrontational (“If I was white, I’d faint”). This makes for a democratic send-up of political rectitude and lifts this sitcom to a much better class of comedy: bold social satire. In the end, the joke is on everyone, but Evans’ audacity, his skillful writing, the delicious acting of this vigorous company and Ron Milner’s busy direction make for a sometimes messy but rambunctious and rewarding show.

It’s a silly story. Handsome, divorced nightclub-owner Caleb Johnson suddenly finds himself the guardian of his deceased partner’s daughter, Beverly (Kim Fields). He mightily resents the appointment and tries to shove the responsibility onto Beverly’s aunt and uncle, snooty Myra Harrison (Marla Gibbs as the Mrs. Malaprop of her upwardly mobile set) and the Rev. Avery Harrison (Marvin Wright-Bey as Myra’s upstanding, menopausal preacher-husband).

But the Harrisons have a ditzy son of their own (Kelly Neal as Felix Harrison) and aren’t ready take in their niece. If they did, there would be no play. Besides, Beverly turns out to be no kid, but a luscious young woman, smart enough to know her rights of ownership in Caleb’s club and her amorous designs on owning Caleb.

That, in brief, is the plot, but there is a significant subplot involving Felix, his material girl-friend L’il Bits (Judi Williams) and her brazen uncle Ralph (Harold Moore). Plus one more character: a willowy beautician named Mozelle (Desiree Walter), whose femin ine and femin ist contributions are not to be underestimated and whose sexual politics can be timed to wreak all kinds of nifty havoc.

Evans’ play is structured so that everyone has a direct-address monologue to the audience at one point or another, not necessarily ad-libbed (like Dix’s on Tuesday), but every bit as brash and up-front. They turn out to be dazzling showpieces for these talented performers, who can be as funny with idiomatic body language as they are with the spoken vernacular, and this does not include the Myra malapropisms, which, given the other wealth of this context, are the weakest laugh-getters.

There’s enough unvarnished sexual innuendo to make “Monkey” a good commercial bet, but the play’s real success lies in the punches it does not pull and the ones it takes at Pretension, black or white. Evans, who has a distinguished literary and academic career, is a clever writer who knows his characters and his people and brooks no euphemism.

Neal and Williams have a deceptively jokey discussion of marriage in the second act that cuts deep into love and materialism. And Gibbs’ closing speech is a startling mix of self-admonition and moralizing squarely aimed at an African-American audience. The play may have broader appeal, but there’s no question that it is chiefly designed for African-American ears.

Dix and Fields are the show. They are immensely gifted, mimetic actors who get outstanding support from the rest of the cast.

Victoria Schaeffer has provided some stunning gowns and costumes; Rolfe S. Bergsman’s sets and Victor M.U. Tan’s lighting are fine if not exceptional. The sound system, however, was an unmitigated disaster Tuesday: too loud and full of static given to unscheduled audio-explosions. It needs attention in a hurry.

Milner, a playwright turned director, could tighten up the monkey business some, but all in all, this “Monkey’s” a refreshing barrel of honest-to-goodness fun.

“One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Sept. 22. $16.50-27.50; (213) 480-3232, (213) 468-1700. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

‘One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show’

Kelly Neal: Felix Harrison

Marla Gibbs: Myra Harrison

Marvin Wright-Bey: Rev. Avery Harrison

Lewis Dix: Caleb Johnson

Kim Fields: Beverly Harrison

Judi Williams: L’il Bits

Harold Moore: Ralph Caldwell

Desiree Walter: Mozelle

A Barry Hankerson, Reuben Cannon & Jimmy Newman presentation. Producer Barry Hankerson. Associate producers Kim Fields, Jomo Hankerson. Director Ron Milner. Playwright Don Evans. Sets Rolfe S. Bergsman. Lights Victor M.U. Tan. Costumes Victoria Schaeffer. Sound H.D. Communications. Stage manager Keeth Hill.