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Loose Lips

 ((Santa Monica Playhouse; 80 seats; $ 25 top))

By CHRISTOPHER MEEKS

The evening starts off with an audio recording of the ever-upbeat Casey Kasem. He's preparing a sentimental piece about a dead dog -- and then tears into his technician with four-letter language, including, "When you come out of those uptempo goddamn numbers, man, it's impossible to make those transitions, and then you gotta go into somebody dying."
 

Sandy Faison Prods. and Santa Monica Playhouse in association with Steven Ullman present a comedy revue, conceived and written by Kurt Andersen, Lisa Birnbach and Jamie Malanowski. Directed by Martin Charnin; set design, Charnin; light design, James Cooper. Opened, reviewed Oct. 28, 1995; runs through Jan. 14. Running time: 85 min. TX:Cast: Gregg Berger, Scott Bryant, Sara Pratter, Keith Primi, Ingrid Rockefeller, Luke Toma. TX:Host: Robert Morse. Most people don't have to worry about their worst moments being recorded or otherwise remembered, but for people in the public eye, that's not always the case. "Loose Lips" takes official court transcripts, secret documents and uncovered tape recordings to the stage -- and shows the truth can be quite funny. The rest of the evening has host Robert Morse introducing different pieces, and a cast of six acting them out, transcripts in hand. Included is Spike Lee leaving a message at the New York Times, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry getting arrested by the FBI just after smoking crack cocaine, Michael Jackson's maid talking about Jackson's sleep-over pals and Orson Welles being overly and endlessly directed in a British commercial.

Show was conceived by Spy magazine alumni Jamie Malanowski (now an editor for Esquire), Lisa Birnbach (co-writer of "The Official Preppy Handbook") and Kurt Andersen (now editor-in-chief for New York magazine). The secret of their success is that the pieces are not just misstatements, but revelatory of something about the people involved.

The scenes are well directed by Martin Charnin, who allows his cast moments and expressions that supply subtext -- well done and humorous.

The cast -- Gregg Berger, Scott Bryant, Sara Pratter, Keith Primi, Ingrid Rockefeller and Luke Toma -- most from the original New York production -- should be considered for the next set of regulars for "Saturday Night Live." They're adept and adaptable.

Robert Morse hosts the first two weeks. Filling the position in coming weeks will be Martin Mull, Ron Silver, Charles Nelson Reilly, Buck Henry and others. The show will change slightly during the course of its run as new material is added.