‘Waiting for Guffman’

This sly and gleeful 1997 comedy showcase pokes clever fun at the American musical, amateur theatricals and anything else that’s not nailed down. This occurs when Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest, pictured) stages a musical pageant celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Blaine, Mo., “a little town with a big heart in the heart of the country.” For those not fortunate enough to make it to Blaine for the festivities, a documentary crew is on hand to record it. The standard by which all mock-documentaries are judged is, of course, “This Is Spinal Tap,” and the moving force behind “Guffman” is Guest, alive in our memory as Tap’s lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel. Guest directed and co-wrote “Guffman” (with “Second City’s” Eugene Levy) in addition to playing the arch St. Clair. The Guffman St. Clair is waiting for is a representative of a powerful New York producing organization he hopes will whisk him off to Broadway. The cast includes Levy, Parker Posey and Bob Balaban (Showtime Sunday at 10:30 p.m.).