Testing the Waters

Two musicals now playing in town are set in America just after the turn of the century, when fellows donned ice cream suits and the ladies tilted their parasols just so.

And there the comparison ends between “Ragtime” and the Jack Yantz-Ron Brown musical “Barbizon” at the Whitefire Theatre.

The latter is such a mess, such an embarrassment of non-riches, that there seems to be no way to salvage this world premiere. They call these kinds of shows “tryouts” for a reason. Now that “Barbizon” has been tried, it’s time for it to go out the door.

At first, the show under Deborah Lee Hall’s direction looks as if it’s going to be charming. Wealthy bachelor Edward (James Kelton) has fled an unpromising upcoming wedding for the Carolina coastal resort of Barbizon. Resort owner Mrs. Peabody (JoAnn Elizabeth Green) promises Edward that the place is full of eligible women. Edward’s fey friend Binky Binkleston (Cory Rouse) also is at Barbizon. They become single men on the lookout.

Binky focuses his sights on Mrs. Peabody’s daughter Amy (Elaine Orth), who’d rather sail the seas as her late seafaring father had than fall in love. Edward sets after Prudence (Georgan George Yantz), the put-upon ward of hateful, nasty Agnes (Angel Tompkins), who tends to an orphaned baby named Lullabye for Binky.

This is just the start of the increasingly ludicrous plot complications in Yantz’s book, which cobbles bits of everything from “Midsummer Night’s Dream” to O. Henry, but doesn’t seem concerned if any of it is remotely convincing entertainment. The short-lived charm ends abruptly with Brown’s first song, which launches a score of stunning weakness, poor song construction, minimal key changes, even less emotion, and a whole lot of horrible-sounding taped synthesizer accompaniment that might be called Casio Hell.

For all the effort in delivering this tale of love conquering all, “Barbizon” becomes ugly on the ear and eye. The charismatic Kelton, Vance Wells as his valet, and William Knight as fatuous spendthrift A.P. Grundel, are the only actors who seem ready to act. The rest of the cast can’t, or have forgotten how to. Either way, they definitely can’t sing. To add to the ear strain is the eyestrain of J.J. Edwards’ absurdly crowded set on the Whitefire’s small stage--capped by some bulbous things that are supposed to be trees in a rainy forest.

In fact, the trees symbolize this show. They’re meant to cast a romantic spell for the lovers in the woods. Instead, they’re silly looking in a high school production sort of way. “Barbizon” is actually funny in the end, but in none of the ways intended.

BE THERE

“Barbizon,” Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Aug. 24. $13-$16. (818) 789-8499.