Tuning In to a Spoof

If you worship at the shrine of Andrew Lloyd Webber, perhaps “Forbidden Broadway 1994” is not the show for you.

“I think the tone is basically a love of Broadway--although it certainly knocks it,” said Gerard Alessandrini, whose satirical revue is playing a six-week run at the Tiffany Theatre in West Hollywood.

The newest incarnation of Alessandrini’s 12-year-old musical offers topical and irreverent takes on such stage hits as “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Les Miserables,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Damn Yankees,” “Cats” and “Miss Saigon.”

“I have a lot of admiration for these people, and I think it comes through,” added Alessandrini, 39, referring to the creators and stars of Broadway shows. “Besides, a spoof is a celebration.”

Angela Lansbury (whom he spoofed in her “Sweeney Todd” role, and now satirizes in “Beauty and the Beast”) “is a good sport about it,” Alessandrini said. “A lot of people in the community are. Hal Prince loves to see the shows. So does Cameron Mackintosh. Stephen Sondheim said, ‘The meaner, the funnier.’ ”

And the New York-based Alessandrini is more than happy to oblige.

“I used to write parodies of shows when I’d see them--just for myself and friends,” he said, recalling the genesis of the show. “At the time, I had a folder of these parodies: ‘Evita,’ ‘Amadeus,’ ‘The Pirates of Penzance,’ ‘42nd Street.’ Also at the time, I was mostly working as a performer, and wanted to showcase myself and my friend.”

After several months of shaping the material, the two-person show debuted in January, 1982, at Palsson’s Supper Club in New York. It was an instant hit.

The show, soon enlarged to a cast of four, later picked up the Obie, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. In September, 1988, the show moved to New York’s Theatre East, where it ran until January, 1994. Productions have included a 1983 run at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles and ongoing tours, which have spanned London, Sydney and Tokyo.

The naughty-but-nice qualities are clearly one of the show’s appeals. “We’re pretty clean,” said Alessandrini, who is directing the run in West Hollywood. “In this version, we have two four-letter words. We’re spoofing David Mamet, and there was no way to get around it.”

Other targets include Ethel Merman, Madonna, Mary Martin, Tommy Tune, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand (plugging her upcoming concert tour) and Michael Crawford (plugging his post-”Phantom” album).

From the oldies file, Robert Goulet hits the revival circuit in “Camelounge” and Carol Channing makes one more pass at “Hello, Dolly!” Over the years, Alessandrini estimates that between 200 to 300 numbers have revolved through the show; the current version uses 40.

“It’s like the best of Broadway,” he said. “For this production, I’m picking from 10 years of events--the high points.”

Born in Boston to parents who loved opera, Alessandrini began performing early on in off-Broadway, summer stock companies and in tours. What eventually became New York’s longest-running musical comedy revue was created when the actor-writer was 27 and, he acknowledged, “has been a very good gig. They say you can’t make a living writing for the stage, but you can make a killing. Well, for me it’s been the opposite. I didn’t make a killing, but I have made a living for the last 12 years.”

Satirical Snippets

A sampling of show tune lyrics spoofed in “Forbidden Broadway 1994,” now playing at the Tiffany Theatre in West Hollywood.

“Camelot” (original)

A law was made a distant moon ago here

July and August cannot be too hot

and there’s a legal limit to the snow here

in Camelot.

“Camelounge” (parody)

I had a high school techy paint the scen’ry

‘cause when it came to cash we had to scrounge

Now Merlin’s forest looks like Vegas green’ry

called Camelounge .

*

“Annie” (original)

The sun’ll come out, tomorrow

bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow

there’ll be sun.

“Annie” (parody)

I’m 30 years old, tomorrow

And I haven’t worked since I played Annie

when I was 10 .

*

“Sunset Boulevard” (original)

Today she’s half-forgotten

but now the films have gotten small

She was the greatest star of all .

“Sunset Boulevard” (parody, sung by “Patti

LuPone,” who had the starring role in London but now

plays the butler in the “Forbidden Broadway” version)

Today I’m half-forgotten

Alas my job is now to call Glenn Close

the greatest star of all.

“Forbidden Broadway 1994” plays Tuesdays through Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and 10 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. at the Tiffany Theatre, 8532 Sunset Blvd. , West Hollywood. Tickets: (310) 289-2999.