A Tongue-in-Cheek Way to ‘Broadway’

It’s an old story. Man drowns his talent in alcohol as friends and family watch helplessly. Yet Joel Kimmel’s feel-good musical “Lullaby of Broadway,” at the Tiffany Theater, is anything but gloomy, making this a fitting tribute to Al Dubin, whose songs live on in commercials and even Broadway revivals such as “42nd Street.”

Dubin (Nathan Holland) is, Kimmel tells us, “the forgotten man of Broadway.” As a lyricist, he lived in the shadow of his various collaborators, who usually received credit for the songs. Teamed with Harry Warren (Kirby Tepper), whom he dragged unwillingly from Broadway to Hollywood, Dubin turned out memorable lyrics to many Busby Berkeley (James Matthew Campbell) musical movie extravaganzas. Yet Warren proved more suited for the studio system. Dubin sank in a swamp of alcohol, women and, when he could manage it, song.

Kimmel’s approach is more tongue-in-cheek than reverent. He includes a long list of Dubin’s “clunkers” from his pre-Warren era. And even though all this is framed as flashbacks after Dubin’s funeral, the ending is uplifting.

Director David Galligan and choreographer Kay Cole maintain that sugary cheeriness that characterized the escapism of musicals then--although this is tempered by a smart-aleck twist.

As Dubin, Holland is a lovable man--an optimist too susceptible to temptation. Yet Tepper practically steals the show as the steadier straight man. The nine members of the ensemble have beautiful voices that shine in both group harmonies and solos, with live piano accompaniment provided by James Vukovich and Andy Chuckerman. This is a treat for musical lovers.

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* “Lullaby of Broadway,” Tiffany Theater, 8532 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ends Jan. 25. $25-$30. (310) 289-2999. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.