‘Paquito’s Christmas’ Keeps It Simple

“Paquito’s Christmas,” a heartfelt musical at the Los Angeles Theatre Center downstairs hall, is as choppy and amateurish--and occasionally as charming--as a home movie.

Paquito (Jason Guadalajara) has been promised a beautiful toy sailboat for Christmas if he gets a good report card. But his father, Paco (Angelo Pagan), is forced to renege when he is laid off from his factory job. Paco and Paquito quarrel. Paquito runs away. After various adventures, during which Paquito befriends a garrulous Jewish widow (Lores Jayne Jacoby), Paquito happily reunites with his dad and his mom (Lamar Aguilar), newly cognizant of the importance of family and the true meaning of the season.

That’s it in a nutshell--a somewhat old and hoary chestnut shell. Although sometimes sweetly simplistic, the show is more often merely simple-minded.

Director Luis Avalos also wrote the book and lyrics, which include such egregiously memorable lines as: “Whether they stink/Or dress up in mink/It always comes down to/They just didn’t think,” and “I’m betting on you/You’re my hombre/ Especially when you do the laundry.” (Music is by Bobby Rodriguez.)

Still, points have to be given for intent, if not execution. Despite its roughness--or perhaps because of it--”Paquito’s Christmas” is endearing and persistently watchable.

* “Paquito’s Christmas,” Los Angeles Theatre Center Theatre 3, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. Tonight-Saturday, 8 p.m. ; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Sunday. $8-$15. (213) 485-1681. Running time: 2 hours.