‘Plan 9’: Musical In Tune With Ed Wood

The late filmmaker Ed Wood’s ability to coax uniformly wooden performances from his actors, his uncanny ear for bad dialogue and his utter contempt for the straitjacket of plot continuity are qualities that elevated his signature work, “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” to cult status.

With campy remakes all the rage, “Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Musical,” at the Hollywood Moguls Theatre, was probably inevitable, especially in light of Tim Burton’s recent film bio. Given the peculiar inverted aesthetic governing all things Wood--the worse it is, the better--it’s a sincere compliment to say this stage adaptation is bad enough to be good.

After all, a slick, high-quality affair would have been tantamount to betrayal. Instead, co-creators Mark W. Knowles and composer/lyricist David g. Smith remained faithful to the master’s vision in their staging and budget. What greater tribute could there be than two actors in flimsy wooden chairs who begin their scene with “Here we are in a plane . . . .”

Except for a few such lines added for stage logistics, the film dialogue has been excerpted verbatim, its Cold War paranoia, male sexism and overreaching pseudoscientific philosophy intact.

More of the show’s charm lies in director Knowles’ attention to detail, like having the heroine (Jaye Maynard) go out of her way to knock over a tombstone as she’s chased through the cemetery.

Smith’s lunar tunes are an appropriate pastiche of nostalgia-tinged rock, the showstopper being an Elvis-style number sung by the Ruler of the Universe (Mark Perry). Also notably dedicated are Mark Tracy as the amoral alien commander, Leslie Esser as his unrequited admirer, and Alice Amter as a decorative zombie vamp.

* “Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Musical,” Hollywood Moguls Theatre, 1650 N. Schrader Blvd. (formerly Hudson Avenue), Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends March 11. $10. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes.