THEATER REVIEW : First-Rate Comic Timing From the Poster Boys

They’re pudgy. They’re pasty. And they don’t dress cool. That plus raw talent is what makes the trio of under-30 palookas known as the Poster Boys stand out in this neck of the L.A. woods. Their “Bang! I Love You” at the Tiffany may not scale the heights of sketch comedy innovation, but it’s a strong West Coast debut for a group with a future.

Paul Parducci, Russ Reiley and Jim Giordano have been plying their wares in their native New York for a half-dozen years now, although they’re best known from the series of Nick at Nite promo spots in which they play the geeky dudes guarding the vault where “America’s television heritage” is kept.

The Poster Boys’ is a comedy of persona that’s slightly reminiscent of the Three Stooges. Paul is the domineering bruiser, Russ is the cynic and cuddly Jim is the doofus. It’s not so much what they say--or the anorexic premises on which their pithy sketches are based--but the high-adrenaline way they throttle each other onstage that makes the show go.

“Bang! I Love You” consists of 10 unrelated routines in which Paul, Russ and Jim milk semi-classical comedy setups such as a visit to a doctor’s office or a talk show where one guy (Paul) is the bombastic host, and the other two are his nebbishy victims.

A couple of segments take a stab at meta-comedy, as the group pokes fun at current performing arts conventions. In the “Completely Improvised Scene,” for instance, three relatively clueless fellas set themselves up to wing it and then draw a blank.

First-rate comic timing and energy make up for what the Poster Boys’ material lacks. They have the quick shtick rhythms down to a T, and they never let you see a crack in those trademark cartoony self-caricatures. It’s so well-rehearsed that it almost seems spontaneous.

Refreshingly absent from the Poster Boys’ revue are the misogyny, racism and freewheeling hate that dominate so much contemporary comedy. None of their sketches last very long--which gives the impression that the trio can’t sustain a gag--but that’s characteristic of comedy by and for a TV generation.

* “Bang! I Love You,” Tiffany Theater, 8532 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, Thursdays-Sundays, June 27 and July 11, 25, 7:30 p.m.; July 1, 15, 17, 8 p.m.; June 25, 26 and July 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 10 p.m. Ends July 25. $22-$24. (310) 289-2999. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.