`FENSTER' FUN, ENTERTAINING FARE; PLAY SHOWS HOW LEGIONNAIRES MAKE BEST OF LIFE IN THE DESERT.

Byline: Victoria Giraud Special to the Daily News

Far off in the distant desert land of Yabuti, there's a wicked Wazir, a few frantic French Foreign Legionnaires at Fort Fromage, the single but fair Felicity Pennyfeather, and fearless Fenster, the hunky hero.

In ``Fenster of the Foreign Legion'' - the latest musical comedy from the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama and Vaudeville Co. - F definitely stands for funny, even silly, but it's entertaining fare for the entire family.

Fenster, our American hero (Adam Finlay), has come to Fort Fromage to join the French Foreign Legion and forget an old romance. Making the best of life in 60,000 square miles of desert are legionnaires - Faversham (Cathy Doebler), masquerading as a man; Fachinski (Jeremy DiPaolo); and Frisson (Scott Fraser). The fort is poorly staffed because Capt. Marone (Bob Fraser) keeps shooting legionnaires who fall in love with his ward, Felicity Pennyfeather (Christine Kitchenmaster).

The local Sheik Yabuti (Wakai Jasso) - and yes, they do sing that song - has his hands full keeping peace in his household and between the French and the locals. His sister, Princess Alexandra (Melissa Mednick) is confined to their palace and isn't having any fun, and the duplicitous Wazir (also Bob Fraser) wants to make trouble.

The Wazir stirs up trouble by kidnapping Felicity, and Capt. Marone pins the blame on Fenster. Just before Fenster is due to be shot, the Sheik intervenes and Fenster is sent out to find Felicity. Naturally he needs a camel and buys a talking and singing one from the local one-stand mall proprietor, the voluptuous Mama Ruth (Cathy Doebler).

Before love wins out, we discover that the Captain is double-dealing. Lo and behold, so are most of the legionnaires, who are revealed as secret agents from Russia, England and the U.S.

The vaudeville interlude was sung by Fraser sisters Beth and Katie who both have strong, clear voices that harmonize well. It was a delight to hear sharp voices that projected to the back rows, and it didn't matter how close they were to the microphones.

The Fraser family, which now runs the Melodrama, has brought some welcome changes to the Melodrama. The shows are tighter and funnier, and they draw the music they parody from wider sources. In the current show, there's a song from Broadway's classic musical comedy ``Kismet,'' and a funny one about Russian composers, ``Tschaikovsky,'' sung originally on film by the wizard of double-talk, Danny Kaye.

THE FACTS

WHAT: ``Fenster of the French Foreign Legion'' by Tom Biener and Bob Fraser.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. through Feb. 8.

WHERE: The Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama and Vaudeville Co., 45 E. High St., Moorpark.

COST: $12 adults, $9.50 children and seniors. Discounts for groups of 15 or more.

INFORMATION: [phone] or [phone].

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO From Left, Cathy Doebler, Jeremy DiPaolo, Adam Finlay and Scott Fraser entertain in ``Fenster of the French Foreign Legion.''