THEATER REVIEW : This Joke’s on ‘Hollywood’ : Satirist Alessandrini Takes a Shot at the Movies and Hits a Bull’s-Eye

The theater is always losing writers to Hollywood. Now Gerard Alessandrini, the razor-sharp satirist who for years in his revue “Forbidden Broadway” has used theater songs to skewer the foibles of theater folk, turns his scalpel to the movies. I can’t imagine anyone will complain about this delightful defection. Except perhaps Patrick Swayze.

“Forbidden Hollywood” opened Sunday at the Coronet Theatre, and Patrick, if you’re reading, don’t see this show. Take Juliette Lewis, Warren Beatty and Rosie Perez and find something else to do, please. We’re only trying to spare your feelings.

Everyone else, however, should immediately get a ticket and witness Christine Pedi perform the most devastating Liza imitation that you will ever see in this lifetime (Miss Minnelli: Attend at your own risk). Pedi is one of four excessively talented performers that make this uneven though often hilarious evening the treat of the season. (Sally Field: Go only if you’re having a very, very good day.)

An act-one parody of “Aladdin” is worth the price of admission alone. The supremely funny Jason Graae and Susanne Blakeslee play Aladdin and Jasmine, mimicking the annoying vocal affectations of pop singers Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle that decorate the song “A Whole New World.” The song is Alessandrinized into “A Disney World,” not the place of fireworks and castles of our youth, but a corporatized, litigious and frightening place. Sing along:

“A Disney World Beware the Lion King is here You’re gonna love our nice Gestapo mice Now Donald Duck Fills Kim Il Sung with fear.” Disney is a more worthy target than, say, a decrepit Marlene Dietrich. Played by the rail-thin Blakeslee as one of the surgical wonders of the modern world, Blakeslee sings to the tune of “Falling in Love Again”:

“Falling apart again I can hardly move Wheel me to the Louvre And frame me.” It’s not nice, but it is funny.

As you may have already surmised, Alessandrini hasn’t really strayed too far from Broadway. His heart is really in musical parody, and one excellent running joke is an indictment of how Hollywood mucks up good Broadway musicals with everything from absurd purple filters in “South Pacific” to the dubbing of Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady.”

However, a deconstruction of “Forrest Gump” as a right-wing tract has some bite, and so does a bit on the overspending on Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld.” But most of the show’s comments on non-musical movies are disappointments, especially the “Pulp Fiction” skit, which never lives up to its opening image of Gerry McIntyre in Samuel L. Jackson’s ferocious sideburns, skulking around with a gun. A takeoff of “The Piano” goes nowhere fast. The Woody Allen number is notable only for Blakeslee’s fabulous Mia Farrow.

Less hip and yet far funnier is “The Sound of Music, Part II” in which Rolff and the Baroness are out to get that Maria Von Trapp bitch (Blakeslee does a stunning Julie Andrews). Even the Sherman Brothers (remember them?) take a drubbing for writing “Stupidcarelessfictionalnonsensicalverboseness” for Mary Poppins.

Alvin Colt supplies a steady stream of inventive costumes with efficient visual punch lines, from Ann-Margret’s puffy pink midriff blouse (from “Bye Bye Birdie”) to Audrey Hepburn’s gown for Ascot (from “My Fair Lady).

Alessandrini throws in a little social/political activism. As Bette Midler, Pedi sings “Who’s Gay in Hollywood,” in which she performs some very mild outing. But mostly the show exhibits a longing for the lost days of the non-animated movie musical, and it offers a magnetic cast a chance to sing new lyrics to “Fugue for Tinhorns,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” and other standards.

Oh, and Elvis, if you’re out there: Although you are parodied, you can safely see this show. But don’t bring along Ann-Margret.

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“Forbidden Hollywood,” Coronet Theatre, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, Tue.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 5 and 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 and 7 p.m. Ends May 28. $29.50-$34.50. (310) 657-7377. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

With: Susanne Blakeslee, Jason Graae, Gerry McIntyre, Christine Pedi.

Piano: Brad Ellis