‘Gigli Concert’ Has Style but Misses Heart

When a downtrodden, alcoholic New Age counselor encounters a rich but virtually tone-deaf client obsessed with learning to sing like a famous tenor, it’s hard to say who needs the most help. But then, intriguing uncertainty fuels the quirky charm of acclaimed Irish playwright Tom Murphy’s “The Gigli Concert.”

Unfortunately, much of that charm eludes the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s overly polite production, which offers meticulous formal performance and presentation but misses the play’s vibrant Irish heart.

Caught between his drinking problem, his womanizing and the collapse of the Dynamatology movement, whose self-actualization credo he preaches, Robert Thaler’s seedy therapist, JPW King, shows more mannered grimace than heartfelt anguish. As his anonymous client, Greg Mullavey provides wry humor--especially with his character’s passion for singing opera despite his inability to understand a word of Italian, let alone carry a tune. Nevertheless, his abruptly shifting intentions are so cryptic they remain virtually opaque.

However, Lisa Robins brings authenticity to the much smaller role of King’s bawdy lover, who embodies the unsentimental life-affirming spirit King only feigns for his clients.

Allan Miller’s staging respects the text and insightfully showcases the emotional beats. But Murphy’s defiance of character cliches and conventional dramatic handles remains for the most part an unmet challenge. Accents that sometimes meander as far afield as Scandinavia and even Germany don’t help. A hint could be taken from the musical theme--the lines need to soar with the rich cadences of perhaps the world’s most poetic language.

* “The Gigli Concert,” Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. (Aug. 24, 4 p.m.) Ends Aug. 31. $18.50-$22.50. (310) 477-2055. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.