‘Ali: Life and Times’ Floats and Stings

The one-man show “Ali: The Life and Times of Muhammad Ali” at the Hudson Backstage chronicles the career of arguably the greatest--and certainly the most flamboyant--heavyweight boxing champion. Commencing in 1989, the action opens on a slower, struggling Ali (David Roberson), already in the throes of Parkinson’s disease, ostensibly addressing an audience on a college lecture tour--a neat expositional device on the part of co-writers Geoffrey C. Ewing and Graydon Royce.

The action switches back and forth in time to various intervals in Ali’s life, from the retired Ali to the sinewy young lion who catapulted to national prominence--and notoriety--with his spectacular athleticism and braggadocio. Ewing and Royce recapitulate the famous controversies of Ali’s eventful life, including his religious conversion and his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. However, with a few exceptions, such as a lovely scene in which the champ playfully spars with a group of admiring youngsters, the writers seldom delve beneath the headlines into the soul of the private man.

A by-the-book opening unfolds into a stronger second act, and Roberson and his director Dominic Hoffman make the most of the progression. Roberson almost overcomes the limitations of his material through sheer likability.

Dancing through the show’s boxing segments (choreographed by Mick E. Jones) with formidable skill, Roberson captures not only the playful ebullience of the youthful Ali, but also the dignity of the failing lion valiantly coping with the knockout punch of fate.

* “Ali,” Hudson Backstage, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Fridays, 8 p.m. Ends Oct. 16. $20. (213) 930-1691. Running time: 2 hours.