Despite Strong Singing, ‘Avenue’ Hits Detour

When you first walk into “Avenue X,” the a cappella musical at the Odyssey, you feel a frisson of expectation mingled with anxiety. You wonder, when all is said and sung, whether a full-length musical can be sustained with no instrumental backing other than the sounds of human voices.

In this case, sadly, it can’t--but don’t blame it on the a cappella format, which proves as pure as it is propulsive. And don’t try to pin it on the strong-voiced, gutsy cast, whose harmonic intricacies often verge on the celestial. And above all, don’t try to railroad director John DiFusco, whose sure-footed staging maximizes the play’s possibilities.

Such as they are. The failings of “Avenue X” rest squarely on the shoulders of composer Ray Leslee and lyricist John Jiler, who also wrote the book, an initially sprightly effort that slides inexorably from the meaningful to the lugubrious.

The action transpires in the summer of 1963 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn--an Italian enclave reeling from the encroachment of black housing projects on its hitherto all-white turf. Avenue X is where the twain sharply divide--Italians on one side of the street, African Americans on the other. Crossing this line--especially if you’re one of the unwelcome newcomers--can be lethal.

Pasquale (John Ciccolini) is an aspiring singer determined to escape his dead-end neighborhood by winning a singing competition. However, when his fellow doo-woppers Chuck (Ramon McLane) and Ubazz (Roger Mazzeo) back out of the gig, Pasquale persuades a black youth, Milton (Gordy Owens), to be his partner.

This fledgling friendship causes alarm on both sides of the avenue, not only with Pasquale’s Italian pals, but also with Milton’s mom and stepdad, Julia and Roscoe (Charmaine Alicia Mancil and M. Darnell Suttles), a washed-up singing act with their own bitter memories. In the meantime, Pasquale’s troubled sister Barbara (Samantha Kaye) remains wrapped in her own personal misery, while Milton’s Bahamian pal Winston (Stevie O’Darin) embraces political extremism as his answer to the racial problem.

The first act is purposeful and thought-provoking, studded with crowd-pleasing musical numbers. The second act, however, veers from the specific to the general, emphasizing ethnic contrasts (particularly in the songs “Cecilia” and “Africa”) at the cost of character development. As the play’s humor and structure start to crumble, important plot points remain un-addressed, the dynamic between the protagonists loses focus to a melodramatic subplot, and a histrionic ending substitutes, poorly, for tragedy.

One appreciates that the authors are trying to address the dangers of racism. However, “Avenue X” sacrifices music for message--and a bungled message it is.

* “Avenue X,” Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Wednesdays-Saturdays,8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. July 14, 28 and Aug. 11 only, 3 p.m. Ends Aug. 18. $20-$24. (310) 477-2055. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes.