Eccentrics in Hollywood Make Up Delightful ‘Lifetime’

The first of the momentous collaborations between Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, “Once in a Lifetime” is a historically fascinating play that harks back to a more leisurely time, when two intermissions were the norm.

For those weaned on television sketch comedy, “Lifetime,” which runs almost three hours, may not deliver the same blunt blow to the funny bone. However, for those with a bit of patience and perseverance, the revival at West Coast Ensemble provides a welcome opportunity to leap down the rabbit hole into one of the most extravagantly nonsensical milieus this side of Wonderland.

Wonderland, in this case, is Hollywood during the advent of the talkies, when stars’ careers are being broken with the regularity of pecans in a praline factory. Jerry (Rob Boltin), May (Kristina Hayes) and George (David Kaufman), a second-string vaudeville act, join the gold rush to the West Coast in pursuit of elusive fame. But, as the trio soon learns, all that glitters is most probably tinsel.

This is hardly novel stuff, but a parade of eccentrics holds our interest like a carnival sideshow. Director Chris Hart, son of Moss, understands that fluff this evanescent must be played with a straight face and acute comic timing.

Hart assembled a large and lively cast without a single weak link--no mean feat considering the number of smaller roles in this sprawling show. George K. Cybulski’s set manages to convey the opulence of the Art Deco period without being fussy about it. Shon Le Blanc’s costumes are fittingly whimsical, while David Mark Peterson’s sound and Lisa D. Katz’s lighting complete this familiar but delightful period portrait.

* “Once in a Lifetime,” West Coast Ensemble, 522 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Oct. 15. $20-$22. (323) 525-0022. Running time: 2 hours, 55 minutes.

The ‘50s Sing On With ‘The Taffetas!’

“The Taffetas!,” now at the Cinegrill, is a retro musical revue set in the 1950s, a period that, Red-baiting aside, is often perceived as America’s last hurrah of wholesomeness and innocence before the advent of the big, bad ‘60s.

Conceived by Rick Lewis, who also did the musical and vocal arrangements, the show is a sort of “Forever Plaid” with female performers. The story revolves around Cheryl (L.J. Stankoe), Donna (Karen Volpe) and Kaye (Jennifer O’Hagen, alternating in the role with Maggie Gish), a trio of sister singers from Muncie, Ind., who are making their big-time television debut on a vintage variety show. (The trio used to be a quartet, but sister Peggy got sidelined in a Las Vegas wedding chapel en route to Hollywood.)

The action transpires entirely during the live television transmission. Between songs, the sisters hawk beauty products, reminisce about their girlhoods and engage in the kind of corn-pone banter that would make Lawrence Welk wince.

The warm bath of nostalgia may occasionally verge on the tepid, but the rudimentary plot provides sufficient excuse for the gals to rip through a variety of vintage tunes, from the obscure (“Mr. Lee”) to the familiar (“Johnny Angel”). A particularly witty medley takes us “Around the World in 80 Days,” from “Arrivederci Roma” to “The Tennessee Waltz,” and points in between.

The result may be a no-brainer, but it is lighthearted and fun, a refreshing escape from the summer doldrums. The performers are sprightly and capable, with O’Hagen turning in the most vocally impressive performance.

Musical engineer Jeff Urband’s taped tracks are impressively smooth, while director Craig Christiansen, musical director Roger Cantrell and choreographer Jennifer Winkler keep things rolling along with streamlined efficiency. Like Lucy in the candy factory, there’s hardly a lull in these confectionary proceedings.

* “The Taffetas!,” Cinegrill at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd. Nightly at 8, except Monday. Ends Wednesday. $15 plus $10 minimum. (323) 769-7273. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.