ON STAGE

Twist

The Avery Schreiber Theatre, Through 30
***

And that third star is due primarily to Alexandra Billings as Fagin, who carries the show on her broad shoulders for much of the evening and gives Eddie Izzard a run for his money for comic wickedness. The rest, I fear, is a bit of a mess. Paul Storiale's direction is notable primarily for its apparent lack and the thing is too long and loud by half. While Billings, in addition to Chris Carlisle as the Dodger and, to a lesser degree, the angelically beautiful Brandon Ruckdashel as a grown Oliver Twist, are in the same show—the fun, campy one that resembles The Rocky Horror Show—the rest of the sizeable cast ranges from the perfectly pleasant to the practically criminal (but that assault with a melody were given its proper due). On the other hand, no show that features a lissome Oliver doing ballet in his underwear can be considered to have been a complete waste of an evening. —WENZEL JONES

Atlanta: The Musical

Geffen Playhouse, Through Jan. 6, 2008
**

I kept thinking how ideal this show might be if viewed by someone utterly devoid of short-term memory. On a moment-to-moment basis it's perfectly lovely, but once you string three consecutive seconds together it sounds like a Mel Brooks premise: how about a band of slaves performing Shakespeare in the middle of the Civil War? Add the groaning platter of Smithfield that John Fleck serves up in the role of Colonel Medraut, who discharges the functions of both slaveowner and artistic director, and it's Katy bar the door. Adrian Pasdar and Marcus Hommon attempt this with a perfectly straight face, despite musicalizations of the Bard set to "Dixie" and the stirring sight of leading player Cleo (the ravishing Merle Dandridge) bringing battle to a halt by singing "Oh, Susanna" from the ramparts. The central story, about a romance between a soldier and the wife of the man he killed conducted entirely through missives, is no less preposterous, but lacks the rich comic potential.—W.J.

LIMITED RUN

IN LIVING COLOR

Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple arrives to Los Angeles. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg, this musical captures the inspiring story of Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world. Ahmanson Theatre. $30-150. 213/628-2772. www.centertheatregroup.org.

WHISTLING DIXIE

The story of Atlanta: The Musical revolves around the fortunes of a Shakespearean troupe made up of Civil War-era slaves under the command of a schizophrenic Confederate officer, amid gospel ballads and bluegrass foot-stomping. Geffen Playhouse. Through Jan. 6. 7:30 p.m. $40.-115. www.geffenplayhouse.com.

LADY MARMALADE

Girls Night, the Musical, follows five friends as they re-live their past, celebrate the present and look to the future during a wild and outrageous girls night out at a karaoke bar. This U.K. smash hit bursts with classic anthems, from “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” to “It's Raining Men.” Coronet Theatre. 2 p.m. $49.50 Through Jan. 6. www.coronet-theatrela.com.

GO-GO BOYS

In The Full Monty a group of unemployed steelworkers come up with a bold way to make some quick cash-stripping. The guys work through their fears, self-consciousness, feelings of worthlessness and anxieties to discover their strength and individual courage. Theatre/Theater. Through Dec. 22. $20. 323/871-9433. www.theatermania.com.

Homo Must

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Anything is a wryly humorous and profoundly moving story of the unlikely romance that blossoms between a reclusive grief-stricken widower from small town Mississippi, and his charismatic transgender neighbor on the brink of her own destruction. Lillian Theater. Through Jan. 21. $25. www.theatermania.com.