Hot lips caress cool old tunes

Hot Lips Houlihan at the Roxy? There’s a concept. But there she was: Sally Kellerman, the original Hot Lips from the “MASH” film, on stage in living color at the Sunset Strip room.

More than 30 years after her Oscar-nominated role, Kellerman is still the succulent, sardonic dish she was in the classic Robert Altman film -- tall, blond and slender, garbed in a body-hugging black gown and projecting a dynamic presence.

Monday’s celebrity-packed crowd was largely dominated by listeners in Kellerman’s age range and older.

And her set, bookended by a song asking her audience to “share another era with me,” was clearly aimed at a demographic not usually seen at the rock-oriented Roxy.

Many of the tunes were staples of the on-the-beat foot-tapping genre: “Ain’t She Sweet,” “Goody, Goody,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” “My Baby Just Cares for Me.”

The saving graces were Kellerman’s marvelously expressive voice, her articulate phrasing and her far-ranging skills as an actor -- all of which helped her survive the less-than-provocative material and less-than-inspiring musical backing. Lovely renderings of “Heart and Soul” and “That’s the Story of Love,” as well as a rocking version of Mose Allison’s “Your Mind Is on Vacation,” revealed Kellerman’s potential as an interpretive singer.

But to reach her fullest musical blossoming, she’ll have to do a more effective job of setting aside the appeal of “another era” and honoring the timeless qualities that are her greatest assets.