‘Ba-Da-Bing’ sets up camp at Stardust

Friday, March 18, 2005 | 8:56 a.m.

"Ba-Da-Bing" is a campy, tongue-in-cheek spoof of mob-hood.

It relies on absurdity and mangled English for much of its humor:

"Pardon my extrusion (intrusion)."

"Any enema of Mr. Big's is an enema of mine."

In keeping with the vernacular, one might call the interactive dinner theater comedy/musical "sopho-moronic."

If you don't mind an evening of puns and overacting while dining on a selection of four entrees (lasagna, salmon, veal, chicken) you should get a kick out of this show at the Stardust.

Don't take anything seriously when you walk through the doors of the Ba-Da-Bing Theatre.

You will be greeted by ditzy blondes in flapper dresses and goombahs in black suits and hats, and escorted to a table in an elegant little theater that seats more than 200 comfortably.

The theater/dining room turns into a nightclub -- The Speakeasy -- when the show ends around 9:15 p.m.

The room opens at 6 p.m., although the show doesn't begin until around 7:30 p.m. While you are being entertained during the pre-show, waiters and waitresses quietly take your dinner orders and then disappear until they just as quietly return with your meal at showtime.

The pre-show includes music, singing and mobster-like characters chitchatting with fans and taking pictures.

There is a lot of picture taking.

"Ba-Da-Bing," created and produced by Ben Morgan, has come a long way since premiering at Alexis Park in 2001.

The cast of gangsters did time at the Greek Isles, the Orleans and the Aladdin before settling in at the Stardust in October.

Morgan, who portrays Cousin Vinnie in the production, says the show has become so popular that he has three full casts -- so you can never be quite sure who is going to be performing on any given night.

Every character has three or four backups.

Only Morgan and Michael Dowe (Gino Capaccino -- who never speaks) have been with the show since it opened at the Alexis Park.

When not at the Stardust, some of the cast members may be in a "Ba-Da-Bing" at a corporate event, a slot tournament or some other private function.

The night I attended the cast included veteran comedian Tom Wallek as lead character Frankie "Moron" Morone. Wallek more often is the character Johnny Vega, but Ted Davey (the main Morone character) had the night off and Wallek filled in for him.

Vocalist Carrie SaLoutos (formerly with the Oak Ridge Boys) portrayed Chickie Parmesan -- Morone's former girlfriend.

Her stand-in often is Kelly Carl, who usually portrays Peppah (a hard-drinking moll).

When she isn't being Peppah or Chickie, Carl may be a flapper or sing in the Speakeasy after the show.

Confusing?

A little, but this production isn't really about the individual performers -- it's about the audience.

The actors are there to bring the fans into the show and make sure they have fun. And "Ba-Da-Bing" is a fun show, but it will never be mistaken for a Cirque du Soleil production.

And for some who are tired of the extravaganzas of gymnasts, that may be a good thing -- ba-da-bing.