STAGE REVIEWS HOLIDAY SHOWS : ‘Gifts of the Magi’ Lacks Yuletide Touch

The Times’ Drama Department recently visited a smattering of holiday shows open for business. Here’s a sampling of what’s in and around town .

“The Gifts of the Magi,” a musical based on O. Henry’s classic, offers a fine explanation of what the Christmas spirit should be. This production at the Crossley Theatre doesn’t quite capture that spirit.

The book by Mark St. Germain, with music by Randy Courts (and lyrics by both), also includes the tramp from O. Henry’s “The Cop and the Anthem,” frantically trying to get arrested on Christmas Eve. Linking the tales is a clever idea, but the pseudo-Sondheim score doesn’t have the master’s wit or intelligence, and the style is too cartoon-simple to touch the heart.

Robin Strand’s direction doesn’t help much to fill in the missing colors. Playing many urban characters, Shirley Harrison and Mark Henderson fall into the caricature trap. Alan Johnson as the tramp does better. Greg Martin and Deeana Pampena, as the unfortunate young couple, are not the innocent youngsters that give the original story its poignancy. Tim Farmer’s sincerity and flair for vaudeville shtick make his news hawker-narrator as three-dimensional as it can be.

* “The Gifts of the Magi,” Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower Ave., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m. Ends Dec. 22. $10; (213) 964-3586. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.