By Kai Bisby

A Musical Kaleidoscope

Oh, the musical! Broadway's answer to love (and ticket sales). From Sondheim's unique and sometimes creepy tones, to the overtly sexy songs by Kander and Ebb, to the show-stopping numbers by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the musical has entertained generations of toe-tapping audiences. So what would any self-respecting musical theater queen do to see a collection of musical styles and genres on one stage? Pay for the tickets, of course. No you haven't died on gone to Broadway heaven. Hold on tight to your musical theater bibles because The Musical of Musicals --î The Musical!, a comic satire of the musical theater genre, is coming to Los Angeles, opening a new season at the Laguna Playhouse (606 Laguna Canyon Rd.) on July 9. With a successful run in New York, this musical on musicals retells one story in five distinctive styles, parodying different masters of the form. The basic plot is about June, an ingénue who can't pay the rent and is threatened by her evil landlord. Will the handsome leading man rescue her? At first, the show takes its cue from Rodgers and Hammerstein, taking place in Kansas, complete with a dream ballet. The tale then morphs into a Sondheim extravaganza focusing on the landlord, a tortured artist who slits the throats of his tenants because no one appreciates his art. From there, it turns into a splashy star vehicle, Jerry Herman-style, and then rocks out by way of Andrew Lloyd Webber, with a little Puccini added for good measure. And finally, the story is retold one last time in the vein of Kander and Ebb, set in a Chicago speakeasy. And while this might read as a train wreck on the page, audiences can't get enough of this show. The Musical of Musicals -- The Musical! first opened in Manhattan in 2003 for a limited run as part of the York Theatre's subscription series. But after getting rave reviews and nominations for five 2004 Drama Desk Awards and the 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, the show transferred to Off-Broadway's Dodger Stages in February for an open-ended run, where it still continues and was most recently nominated for a 2005 Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical. For musical theater aficionados or for an entertaining and gratifying tutorial on the history of musical theater, this is the show to see! For tickets and information, call (949) 497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.