Alternative Wonderlands : ‘Pretty Good Life’ Takes Wise Turns

In a holiday season in which theatrical offerings include such big-budget productions as South Coast Rep’s perennial “A Christmas Carol,” the Old Globe’s new “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” as well as the upcoming Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Universal Amphitheatre, many smaller theaters are presenting alternative interpretations of the Christmas spirit.

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Overtone Industries’ “It’s a Pretty Good Life” is not the parody you might expect. An oddball grab-bag of songs and sketch-style comedy, it is also an antidote to everything sentimental about Christmas.

The thin story revolves around the three wise women (O-Lan Jones, Andrea Stein and Susan Marie Brecht) who have but a few hours to stage “A Christmas Carol.” After too much time spent wringing their hands over what to do, they manage to assemble a cast that includes a drama critic (Jim Turner), a tap-dancer (Carlos Jones), “Screamin’ ” Stephen J. Hawkings and his naughty nurse.

The handful of songs, most with music by J. Raoul Brody and lyrics by Kathleen Cramer, also the playwright, are as random as the cast. But the wise women do justice to the witty “Why Do I Have to Do Everything?” and “It’s a Pretty Good Life” is a rousing anti-anthem.

Director Leon Martell manages to keep the whole spinning at high speed, but without losing control. Just as the audience might tire of one bit--like the random monologue of the Angel (John Nesci)--it’s over, and the whole production wheels off in another direction.

Out of this absurd jumble emerge truly hilarious bits, including “Screamin’ ” Stephen’s audition, in which he sings while being manipulated like a puppet by his exotic-dancer nurse. In another riotous tangent, the wise women act out the history of women’s liberation through dramatic reading, rap, interpretive dance and solo saxophone.

* “It’s a Pretty Good Life (A Holiday Play),” Theatre/Theater, 6425 Hollywood Blvd., Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Dec. 20. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes. (213) 833-3372.