Heart and Soul

Remember those old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movies, where somebody says, “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show,” and suddenly it’s Broadway time, with everyone dancing and singing up a storm?

Well, for a taste of that, don’t miss “Retro Wars, Rock Theatre Strikes Back,” a dynamite little family show playing through Saturday at Barnsdall Art Park’s Gallery Theatre.

Unlike the movies, of course, the sets aren’t fancy and production values are modest, but when it comes to talent, the young performers--almost 50 of them, ages 8 to 25--will knock your socks off.

The musical accompaniment is taped in this fast-moving musical revue inspired by R&B;, rock ‘n’ roll and Broadway tunes, mostly from the ‘70s and ‘80s, but don’t expect a sort of kids’ karaoke. Many of these members of the Universal City-based Rock Theatre vocal and dance training program are pursuing show-biz careers and already have professional credits.

Space doesn’t permit naming all the high-energy, fun numbers or the performers who put heart and soul into the show, but here’s a sampling:

“Express Yourself,” with a Madonna-style turn by Jody Hastings, 23; a priceless rendition of Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible,” sung by Kevin Cabriales, 11, with deadpan, pre-adolescent “Palmer Girls” dressed in black; and soloist Breann Amussen, 17, leading a dramatic re-creation of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”

A Devo number, “Whip It,” with soloist Chad Burns, 15, and dancers, is a hoot--as is the unexpectedly comic finale: the Village People’s “YMCA.”

Some of these youthful dynamos have remarkable pipes, but they’re not just belters, a la “Annie.” Tierny DeLaCruz, 21, and Erica Horne, 17, have a big, disciplined R&B; sound and sweet harmonies, too, in their duet, “Enough Is Enough/No More Tears,” and Hastings gives “Evita’s” “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” expressive dimension. Although his self-consciousness is often evident, Dylan Thomas, 25, uses his outstanding rock vocals to eloquent effect in “Come Sail Away” and “Unchained Melody.”

And then there’s Rhiann Katzman, who at age 12 is already an arresting talent. In her two solos, this petite powerhouse’s vocal maturity and glowing stage presence add rock ‘n’ roll punch to an all-girl, black leather-jacketed “Greased Lightning” (from “Grease”) and give spark to the inspirational “We Are the Champions.”

The show’s only downside on opening night was a series of brief glitches with lights and miking. One hopes they have since been resolved--the performers deserve as good as they give.

* “Retro Wars, Rock Theatre Strikes Back,” Gallery Theatre, Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Adults, $10-$15; ages 13-17, $8; age 12 and under, $7. (818) 768-2037. Running time: 90 minutes.

Blanket Decision: Twenty-one student-made quilts, chosen from 70 entries made by Los Angeles-area students, K-12, are on display at the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History until October in its “Class Quilts L.A., 1996-97” exhibition.

The quilts reflect students’ interests, illustrating everything from vegetables (courtesy of a perhaps nutrition-conscious--and hungry--kindergarten class) to high schoolers’ concerns about racial and ethnic struggles and strife.

The colorful, expressive quilts were assembled from individual students’ artwork created on single cloth squares. They were inspired by Amish “friendship quilts.”

Other reasons to make a family visit to the Fowler: the continuing “Isn’t S/He a Doll? A Juried Art Exhibition for Students” and the “Isn’t S/He a Doll? Play and Ritual in African Sculpture” exhibition of playthings and symbolic figures and an Asian shadow puppet exhibition highlighting the venerable art of shadow theater. These fascinating puppets--heroes and heroines, clowns and gods--range from Indonesian puppets with delicate filigree silhouettes created by thousands of perforations to brightly painted, 5-foot puppet characters from India.

* “Class Quilts L.A., 1996-97,” through Oct. 5; “Isn’t S/He a Doll? Play and Ritual in African Sculpture,” through Nov. 16; “In the Play of Shadows: Puppets From Asia,” through Jan. 5. UCLA Fowler Museum, UCLA campus west of Royce Hall, Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m. $5 per adult; free for ages 17 and under; Fridays-Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. (310) 825-4361. Parking at UCLA: $5. For teacher and school services: (310) 206-5663.