Gregangelo: No Stars, but Better than Lestat. Sherry Glaser: Two and A Half Stars, plus Thanks for Miguel.

Plotnik and Ducknik saw two shows on Friday. In the afternoon they drove to Pier 39 to see the opening of Gregangelo's Velocity Circus in his new production called "1906: A Journey Through the Mystical City."

In the show's defense, there were maybe 10 people in the 300 seat theater. Eight of them probably thought they were coming to Menopause, The Musical next door. Poor Gregangelo has managed to put together a show with humor way over the reach of all children and any tourists from east of Hayward, plus added really trite music and an incredibly obnoxious 'tourist couple from New York.' Remember Jar Jar in Star Wars? If Plotnik had had to pay the $46.50 a pop to see this touristy tripe, he'd have stood up knocked both of these two out cold and accepted the applause of the audience before he left. Might have been worth it even for free.

If it weren't for a few good circus acts, this show would not only earn no stars but owe Plotnik a star and a half. As it is, let's just say it's Better than Lestat.

Last night, though, was a different story.

The First Act of Sherry Glaser's 'Oh My Goddess' at the Marsh is pure magic, Live Theater magic, the reason you go to experimental theater in the first place. GO SEE THIS WOMAN!

What she does as Miguel de Cervantes, the waiter at the Last Supper, the man who has been picked out by God's wife (known as 'Ma') to reveal her message on Earth, is nothing short of genius. She becomes this man, in such an original way, that we believe the entire purely cockamamie setup.

Then, in Act Two, when Ma herself is channeled onto the stage, furious at God -- see, she took a nap for 5,000 years and told him to watch over the kids and he hasn't done too good a job -- it starts out every bit as brilliantly. "Hello!" she kvells as the world's ultimate Jewish mother. "It's only been 5,000 years! You're so grown UP!"

But then, as improvisational theater goes, things slow down, drag a bit, she makes a salad for the audience, and by the end you're happy to have the damned corn all steamed and the curtain come down. Of course, there's no curtain at the Marsh, but you get the picture.

Act Two will get better. Don't let it stop you. Oh My Goddess runs Thu-Sat. nights for the next month. The Great Plotnik Theater Awards Division awards 'Oh My Goddess' Three Solid Stars for the acting and writing in Act One and the first half of Act Two, but is forced to take away half a star because we all wanted to see Miguel again. Let us start chanting now: Miguel! Miguel! Miguel!