Writing Doesn’t Fill Out ‘Genes’

Under Mark W. Travis’ direction, Juliette Marshall’s “Something in His Genes” at Santa Monica Playhouse is a sweetly told and earnestly performed solo piece, but the writing isn’t marked by great depth, wit or surprise.

Marshall gives a personal account of romance, with most of the comedy stemming from her insecurities that contrast with the all-too-calm assurances of the object of her affections, Jim.

Beginning at her brother’s wedding, Marshall finds herself trying to be elegant beside her brother’s New Age-inspired friends. At one point, the other women doff their togs and jump naked into the pool. The resistant Marshall is thrown in--with enough time to shed her nice dress, only to have her underthings gain transparency once wet. This attracts the attention of an older man, who then pursues her with the persistence usually seen in movies about stalkers.

Yet the relationship moves into fast-forward, helped by a sudden bout of food poisoning at a sushi bar. They eventually move in together and make slight but superficial adjustments.

As played by Marshall, Jim’s character is too smooth and confident to be more than a manufactured ideal. Set against Marshall’s enacted doubts, panic attacks and flightiness, one wonders what he saw in her at all.

* “Something in His Genes,” The Other Space, Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th St., Santa Monica. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Ends Nov. 18. $10. (323) 655-TKTS. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.

This Musical Stew Fails to Coalesce Megan Mullally of “Will & Grace” fame conceived, directed and stars in “Sweetheart,” a so-called musicale at the Coast Playhouse.

Billed as a multimedia performance-art-musical piece, her show fails to reach even the skittering edge of performance art. It’s more like a concert in which the chanteuse (Mullally in a fine although untempered voice) belts out an eclectic mix of songs but never successfully seduces her audience.

She indulges in no banter with her band (Greg Kuehn, Stuart Mathis and Joseph Berardi) or the audience. Sometimes she simply sits--or worse, stands--with her hands crossed. In her long-sleeve, fitted black top, slouchy black pants, bare feet and what seems to be a mountain-climbing harness, Mullally seems to want to make a statement--but what it is is unclear.

Peter Gurski’s scenic design blends an interesting mix of old Victorian era-styled signs and props, but the discarding of Queen Victoria’s portrait in favor of a Chinese man’s is never explained. The videotape segments that capture Mullally and the band scampering about, in modern dress or more quaint period costumes, look like great fun for the videographers (Marc Forster, Steffi Schneider, Dominique Faix, John Clemens, Paul Morzella and Pam Arnot), but the tie-in to this bill of songs is too vague.

Miked despite the relative coziness of the venue, Mullally sings with sometimes disconcerting abandon as the sound distorts on the higher sustained notes. This untextured show is disappointing theater, cabaret and concert, and is unlikely to be considered much of a musical--with or without the “e.”

* “Sweetheart,” Coast Playhouse, 8325 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Thursdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 and 10 p.m. Ends Dec. 4. $20-25. (323) 655-TKTS. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.