GO BABY IT’S YOU Florence Greenberg (Meeghan Holaway) was a restless Passaic housewife with two nearly grown kids (Suzanne Petrela and Adam Irizarry) and a husband (Barry Pearl) resentful of her love for newfangled rock & roll. (When Bernie tells his missus, “Yakkity yak — don’t talk back,” he’s serious.) Flo left to create Scepter Records, taking with her four local girls whom she shaped into the Shirelles, the original queens of the hop. Floyd Mutrux’s splashy doo-wop, jukebox musical tracks the naive but strong-willed exec as she discovers the brief glories of being on top of the charts with a new man at her side, prideful lyricist and producer Luther Dixon (Allan Louis). Mutrux and co-writer Colin Escott see this as a story about suits, not singers: The Shirelles (Berlando Drake, Erica Ash, Paulette Ivory and Crystal Starr Knighton, all excellent) get stage time but no individuality except for Drake’s Shirley, who makes a play for Luther. But everything is tangential to the music. If the second act didn’t start with an endless but excellent cabaret of oldies by composers from Ron Isley to Lesley Gore, there’d be more plot and less applause. From the corner of the stage, a DJ named Jocko (Geno Henderson) interrupts to set the year, and the production is as much about a nostalgic nod to the era of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as it is about the story of an outsider building her kingdom. (Ironically, the least-familiar song is also the best, “The Dark End of the Street,” later covered by everyone from Dolly Parton to Frank Black.) While Flo and her teen queens deserve more development, the evening closes with a grace note, as the five ladies sing together in harmony, knowing that even if they didn’t shake up the world, they seized their own destinies. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 4 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; through December 13. (626) 356-PLAY. (Amy Nicholson)
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CARBON BLACK Nicknamed Inky, Carbon Black (Michael Drummond) is a 13-year-old who serves as caretaker to his disturbed, agoraphobic mother, Sylvie (Sheila Tousey). Though patient and reliable, he’s grown increasingly restless of late, especially after witnessing — or so he tells skeptical adults — the horrific murder of a neighborhood child. Inky’s escalating truancy brings him to the attention of the school authorities, particularly his Native-American school counselor, Lisa Yellowtree (Tonantzin Carmelo), who visits the home and offers a helping hand, only to be met with hostile anger from the increasingly wigged-out Sylvie. Written by Terry Gomez, the play exhibits the elements of a promising after-school special: a crossroads, a troubled mom, a caring outsider — and more than one viable social message. Unfortunately the script too often either lags or lapses into discomfiting melodrama, as when the assistant principal (Stephan Wolfert) assails Inky, as well as the counselor, with the malevolence of a Dickensian villain. (If this is humor, as another critic has reported, it doesn’t work for me.) Under Randy Reinholz’s direction, Tousey’s performance never goes beyond displaying the outer accoutrements of mental illness. Some of the staging — Sylvie wrapping herself in curtains to hide — seems silly and excessive. Drummond is persuasive in quiet moments, less so when the stakes rise. Within the ensemble, Carmelo fares best. Designer Susan Baker Scharpf’s set and R. Craig Wolf’s accomplished lighting design contribute to the professional polish. Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m.; through November 22. (323) 667-2000. A Native Voices production. (Deborah Klugman)
GO CARNIVAL KNOWLEDGE The two words that come to mind in describing this one-woman show by Naomi Grossman are colorful and physical. The former hits you as you enter the theater and are treated to the circus-tent backdrop festooned with posters that would make P.T. Barnum proud (courtesy of designers Steven K. Barnett and April Lawrence). The latter becomes quickly evident in Grossman’s storytelling style, beginning with a lively game of “Whack-a-Weenie” in which she takes a mallet to male members masquerading as moles (don’t bring the kids). Though Grossman has the air of a wide-eyed ingénué, her contortionism along with the dirty details of nine of her dates — from the stock boy at Trader Joe’s, to her yoga instructor, to Argentine soccer players (in the plural) — prove otherwise. But all is not wine and roses in this comic carnal romp, especially toward the end, when she tackles the darker side of love. Richard Embardo’s efficient direction, along with Christopher Ash’s nimble lighting and Kelley Rodgers’ whimsical soundtrack, help Grossman quickly move between stories as she darts about the stage, putting to good use the fungible, Willy Wonka–hued set pieces. While her characters are not as sharply drawn as they could be, her energy, impressive physicality and the occasionally clever pun in the writing carry the piece. Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hlywd.; Sun., 7 p.m. (no perf Nov. 29); through December 13. (323) 930-1804. A Red Meat Entertainment Production. (Mayank Keshaviah)
