‘Old Vaudeville’ Is Strange New Hybrid

Hovering between professional and community theater, “The Old Vaudeville” at Glaxa Studios proves a committed but uneven production that begins as nostalgic homage but inexplicably mutates into modernist psychodrama.

Under the umbrella of the Venice Visionary Performing Arts company, a 30-member ensemble struts a wide range of skills, from juggling to slapstick to tap dancing. These performances are generally less than formidable, but two standout singers--crooner Colleen O’Shaughnessey and operatic diva Clara Kamunde--supply some credible artistic peaks.

Other notable sequences involve an eerie production number inventively choreographed by Nicole Mathis and a rock tune belted out by an otherwise taciturn emcee (Christopher Holloway), though both abandon any pretense of vaudevillian context. Director-creator Dan Ward tries to give some shape to this pastiche with a sinister subplot centered on a jealous lover, but it’s an uneasy graft onto what is essentially a talent show.

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* “The Old Vaudeville,” Glaxa Studios, 3707 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends July 19. $15. (323) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.