Stage Reviews : ‘Pretty’ Funny Show From Groundlings

Comedy isn’t pretty, they say.

So the title of “Groundlings, Pretty Groundlings” is, as usual for Groundlings revues, extremely misleading. These folks are funny, not pretty.

The funniest sketch is one of the troupe’s rare excursions into political satire, “Dream Cops”--a lean, mean mixture of the Daryl Gates saga with the musical “Dreamgirls,” written by Mike Hitchcock, Tim Bagley and Roger Eschbacher, who play the title roles.

Performed with the professional sheen typical of this company, this is a sketch that could interest a new, politically active audience in the Groundlings.

Elsewhere on the program, Heather Morgan is the brightest light. Her sketch “After the Break-Up” is a tense walk along the high-wire tightrope between funny and sad. Her two solos, one of them virtually wordless and one of them extremely verbose, sum up different types of women with masterful brush strokes.

A big ensemble number that opens the second half is an irresistible look at a “Show Tune Singles” group. Deanna Oliver directed this edition of Groundlings madness.

“Groundlings, Pretty Groundlings,” 7307 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 and 10 p.m. Ends Feb. 5. $15.50-$17.50. (213) 934-9700. Running time: 2 hours.

Big ‘Plans,’ Little Payoff in One-Woman Show

A few blocks away from the Groundlings is Jeanne Alexander in “I Got Plans For the Rest of My Life,” a one-woman series of musical sketches, at the Melrose Theatre.

The show starts promisingly with a Kirby Tepper song about a contemporary Eve. Alexander dons a wide variety of funny costumes, some of them overdone, and changes into them while original little videos, produced by Ron Hamill, supposedly tie together the live musical numbers.

But the script, written by Alexander with her director Robert Schrock, never justifies the effort that went into the production. Some of the characters, such as a dirty old crone who lusts after her gardener, are predictable.

The transitions seem forced. Polite chuckles far outnumber the belly laughs.

“I Got Plans For the Rest of My Life,” Melrose Theatre, 733 N. Seward St., Hollywood, Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. ; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Nov. 10. $15. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.