THEATER REVIEW : New Strain of ‘Fame’? Not Exactly

“Fame,” at the Alex Theatre, could have been called “Same.”

In interviews, “Fame” creator David De Silva claims this “Fame” is not an adaptation of the 1980 movie about a New York performing arts high school. This one is set in the early ‘80s, after the movie was released. There are different songs and different characters.

Different in names, yes. But in fact most of the characters are strikingly similar to their movie forebears. And the changes in the names merely epitomize the level of cliche this show stays on.

Joe Vegas. Carmen Diaz. Tyrone Jackson. Schlomo Metzenbaum. You get three guesses as to which two of these are hot-blooded Latinos, which one is the rebellious black dancer who can’t read (just like in the movie), which one is the Jewish prodigy.

The entire structure of Jose Fernandez’s book apes the movie, following a group of kids from the initial auditions through their senior year. Once again a girl and a boy in the acting program kinda like each other, except the boy is kinda gay (but only kinda).

The Latina singer is much more of a stereotype here--she wears hot pants and boots, wiggles a lot, and not only flirts with the outside world but even ruins her life by going to, gulp, L.A.--seen here as Gomorrah compared to good old Gotham. First, though, she gets to sing the Dean Pitchford/Michael Gore title song that Irene Cara made famous.

Though that song is the score’s only actual import from the movie, the big group numbers by Steven Margoshes and Jacques Levy sound as if they could have been in the movie. But the smaller numbers are a little more original.

The major update is a rap solo for Tyrone. Later, in a refreshing change of pace, Tyrone and his snooty ballerina friend (another pickup from the movie) do a little Astaire/Charisse pas de deux that’s like nothing in the film. There also are two stage-oriented comedy solos--class clown Joe Vegas sings about his irrepressible erections, and a budding actress reminds herself to “Think of Meryl Streep.”

One improvement: This show drops the overbearing parents and dramatizes a conflict between the dance teacher and the English teacher over the fate of Tyrone. It’s written and acted with a heavy hand, but at least it adds a tiny bit of substance to the overall glitz.

The glitz is relentless. Although a big musical number is called “Hard Work,” we don’t see the kids working hard on their art. Most of them are skilled when they enter and no more skilled when they leave. From the beginning, the special effects recall a rock concert or Vegas. Who needs hard work when you have Michael Hallbert on lights? By contrast, the movie looked like a gritty documentary.

Lars Bethke’s choreography moves muscles better than it moves the story. And while there is plenty of young singing talent on this stage, it’s too bad the singers wear amplifying headsets throughout, as if they’re telephone receptionists. Runar Borge’s direction is loud and fast.

* “Fame,” Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday matinees, 2 p.m. Ends June 5. $10-$42. (800) 233-3123. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.

Farah Alvin: Serena Katz

Steve Scott Springer: Nick Piazza

Tony Spinosa: Joe (Jose) Vegas

Jennifer George: Carmen Diaz

Ron Kellum: Tyrone Jackson

Elkin Antoniou: Iris Kelly

Denise Williams: Mabel Washington

Yonah Kliger: Schlomo Metzenbaum

Tracy Ray: Grace (Lambchops) Lamb

Willie Murillo: Goodman (Goody) King

Pamela Ross: Miss Sherman

Patty Tiffany: Miss Bell

Elliott Goldwag: Mr. Sheinkof

Gregg Perrie: Mr. Myers

A Theatre Corp. of America production. Conceived and developed by David De Silva. Book by Jose Fernandez. Lyrics by Jacques Levy. Music by Steven Margoshes. Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and Margoshes. Directed by Runar Borge. Choreographed by Lars Bethke. Musical director Steven Smith. Sets by Svein Lund-Roland. Costumes by Scott Lane and Dawna Oak. Lights by Michael Hallbert. Sound by Tom Martin. Hair/wigs by K. Wojnowski. Production stage manager Lewis Wilkenfeld.