photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Gary Greene, Don Verteramo, Jack Ruolo & Dan Daly ........................................................................................................................................................................................

In "Hooray for Hollywood II"-the 13th annual Doctor's Fund Benefit show, conceived and directed by Donald Labohn and co-produced by Meryl Facterman and Lois McIntosh with the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, on July 18 at the Community House-Labohn and company took a riotously skewed, risqué and very gay look at a movie-making capital we thought we knew well, but never imagined in quite this way.

As a prelude, our community's doctors carried Homecoming Queen Urban Sprawl in on something of a stretcher, actually a wooden plank, and dumped her, unceremoniously onto the stage. To get us further into the mood, a quintet of comely usherettes, Charity, Sylvia (Donald's alter ego) and Shirley Shapiro, Luisa Verde, and Coco invited "Just Go to the Movies," and Coco reminded us of a day, long past, when "Movies Were Movies." The disembodied voice of MGM Studio's "Louis B. Mayer" (Matt Baney), from above, helped guide us during this zany tour.

Dashing Gary Greene as Errol Flynn, Jack Ruolo as Cary Grant, Don Verteramo as Tyrone Power, and Dan Daly as Randolph Scott portrayed romantic leading men-romantic with each other, that is. Declaring, "Dottie, you're the one for me," Doctor's Fund President Joanne Tavis, Bobbie Green and Doreen Rallo, as the "Wizard of Oz" Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow, serenaded Lola, as Dorothy, owner of a stuffed Toto, sorely in need of a pooper-scooper. "I love your funny face," insisted Urban, as a merciless 'Mommie Dearest,' Joan Crawford, lopping off the "beautiful hair" of Coco, as hapless adopted daughter Cristina.

Eschewing her traditional task as "card girl," Cobra, instead, had a pair of crossovers as Greta Garbo, hiding her light under raincoat and hat and behind sunglasses, and, contrary to Cobra's creed that she doesn't "do lines," quoting, "I want to be alone" and querying, "Which way to the Pines?"

Gary was an, at first, strait-jacketed Hannibal Lecter, mouth watering at the sight of Luisa, representing the FBI, and telling her, "I want to do bad things with you," as he sharpened his knives. Later, they were Pinocchio and the Blue Fairy and her song was-what else?-"better knock, knock, knock on wood."

Don was a caped, fanged Dracula and the Shapiros, a pair of beguiling gypsy women, who soothed his savage breast with "Otchi chornaya" and vanquished the vampire by wielding Stars of David. Don changed sex late in the show to become Ann Phetamine as a multi-fruited Carmen Miranda, punning and pointing out that, "A song that has bananas has appeal."

Plagued by autograph hunters-and stage crew-Arthur Cohen, Jane Haber and Peg Ryan, Charity played a big star, sporting a big fur, who confided what she had to do to get to "The Big Time."

As a swaggering James Bond, described as a "chick magnet," Joanne, flanked by Urban and Luisa as 'his' admirers, asked rhetorically, "Who's the Man?" and Lola, as Brigitte Bardot in her boudoir, clad in no more than a sheet, seduced us with "Naughty Baby." Margo, as Cruella De Vil, and Coco, as the Evil Queen from "Snow White," grudgingly swore eternal "Friendship," while admitting they were "Two of a Kind," complete with kicks.

"I'm in the Mood for Love," purred Shirley, as Mae West, to Joanne, Bobbie, and Doreen as her gentlemen callers. Dan brought on Bella, as a wheelchair-bound Elizabeth Taylor, lamenting that, due to her poor health, "Everybody's Fucking, but Me." Renée Flaming, in her Doctor's Fund debut, was Tippi Hedrin, covered with and then pelted with those Hitchcock "Birds," complaining, "Everything happens to me."

Bobbi played Hattie McDaniel scolding, "Nobody listens to Mammy," until she got that coveted gold statue. In his original song, Dan, at the piano, limned pin-up and "(movie queen) Betty Grable."

In the production number that served for the grand finale, which, as usual, arrived much too soon, Doreen, backed by Gary, Joanne, Jack, Don, Dan and Bobbie, in tuxedos and top hats, carrying canes, saluted "Les Girls" Sylvia, Coco, Luisa, Renée, Lola and Margo, in pure white, and Shirley, Charity, Bella and Urban, les fast girls, in black.

In closing remarks, Donald/Sylvia saluted everyone whose efforts resulted in this wonderful show, including, beside those already cited, Alison Brackman, Michael Romanelli, and Sherri Rase, joining Matt on the tech crew; Harold Seeley, who designed the sets; Doreen and Don, for choreography; Urban, for hair and makeup; and Robert Ferri and Dan for printing. Joanne added further comments, on behalf of the Elmer A. Lindsay Memorial Center, or Doctor's Fund.