Sex, drugs and Shakespeare

How often can a company improve upon a winning formula? When it comes to the Troubadour Theater, the answer is: apparently always. The Troubies, as they have become known, are protean parodists who, under the direction of their fearless, funny leader, Matt Walker, keep getting better all the time.

The Troubies are known for their signature blend of contemporary music and classics, with a particular emphasis on Shakespeare. In “The Comedy of Aerosmith” at the Falcon, the group intermingles “The Comedy of Errors,” Shakespeare’s convoluted comedy of mistaken identity, with the hard-rock sounds of Aerosmith.

Past parodies, albeit segues into the gleefully gross, have been family-friendly fare. But this latest outing is for mature audiences: Sex and drug references abound, and the revealing costumes could make Frederick’s of Hollywood blush. Bawdiness predominates, and the results are hilarious.

The conceit here is that we are at a rock concert. Scowling security men, walkie-talkies in hand, patrol the premises and flank the stage, ready to fend off overeager fans. Frequent musical numbers, backed by an onstage orchestra, punctuate the proceedings. The elaborate and ambitious dance sequences, chiefly choreographed by Lorin Shapiro, feature scantily clad chorines the Rag Dolls (an obvious play on sexy cult dancers the Pussycat Dolls).

The show is an impressive blend of the finely tuned and the freewheeling. There’s no lack of rigorous preparation, but the performers are all keen improvisers who play off one another with wit and flair. Walker oversees the action from the sidelines, letting no stutter, bumble or foible go unremarked. The “penalty flag,” familiar from past Troubie shows, is produced at regular intervals.

From the leads to the lesser players, the company simply rocks. It’s hard to single people out for mention among this expert troupe. Particularly amusing are Larry Poindexter and Travis Clark as the separated-at-birth twin Antipholuses (or would that be Antipholi?). Both are side splitters -- and pants splitters too, clad in poured-on leather outfits that give rise to some pointedly comedic moments. Also inspired are the twin Dromios, played by Beth Kennedy and Guilford Adams as gap-toothed clowns in the best vaudevillian tradition. Walker delights as the foppish Duke, mincing about the stage and into the audience with blithe disregard for the fourth wall.

The plot is a stretch, and the confusion of identities proves as baffling here as it does in Shakespeare’s original. However, there’s no mistaking that this is a sure-fire entertainment with monster laughs in store for fortunate audiences. If you’re shy, try to sit in the middle of the house, or you may just get a company member in your lap.

*

‘The Comedy of Aerosmith’

Where: Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank

When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays

Ends: Jan. 30

Price: $25

Contact: (818) 955-8101

Running time: 2 hours