Fine cheese usually tastes better the older it gets. Cheesy
jokes, as the latest in a series of one-person shows at the
Ahmanson confirms, do not benefit from the same maturation
process.
Considering Jane Wagner’s “The Search for Signs of
Intelligent Life in the Universe” won both the Drama Desk
Award and the New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award, as well
as a Tony Award for the show’s solo performer, Lily Tomlin,
you would think it would be exceedingly funny.
But when the curtain fell at the Ahmanson last Wednesday for the
L.A. premiere of the most recent revival of “The
Search,” it was evident that Wagner’s material has not
only aged, it has turned moldy.
Maybe truly ancient jokes about the origins of baby oil
(“if coconut oil comes from coconuts,” ““ insert
your groan here ““ “then where does baby oil come from?)
still seemed fresh in 1985, the year “The Search” first
opened on Broadway. Maybe Wagner and Tomlin believe that some
comedy bits are timeless, and will get laughs no matter what. Maybe
they just thought they could trot out tired material and audiences
would open up their hearts and wallets for old times’
sake.
For those who haven’t seen the play in one of its various
incarnations over the last 20 years, Tomlin juggles 13 characters,
most of whom live in New York City. There are prostitutes,
burnouts, career moms and socialites, and each is brought
comfortably to life by the actress, who has made this show one of
the signature pieces of her considerable career.
Some of the stories and characters in “The Search”
are worth revisiting, if Wagner would consider a more thorough,
contemporary revision. Trudy, the homeless woman waiting with
pantihose around her ankles for her extraterrestrial pals, is
certainly one of the most original characters Tomlin has ever
portrayed, even if she is the source of most of the play’s
trite witticisms. And while angry teen Agnus Angst is literally
cloaked in ’80s accoutrement, she could easily have been
updated to make her angst all the more believable.
Despite a few bright spots, and considering tickets range from
$20 to $60 (although $12 public rush tickets are available on
weeknights), you’ll probably want to spend your hard-earned
cash on a night of entertainment not quite so full of hackneyed
one-liners and dated quips.
“The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the
Universe” is showing Tuesday through Sunday at the Ahmanson
Theatre through July 6. Call (213) 628-2772 for showtimes and
tickets, or go to www.TaperAhmanson.com.