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Given some of the subjects Joseph Keckler covers in his one-man show Human Jukebox at La MaMa, his ability to remain coolly dispassionate impresses.

"Jukebox," an apt title if ever there was one, because the show contains not only monologue, but song, essentially is an examination and rumination on Keckler's relationship with his mother, whom he sometimes refers to as the "Cat Lady," because of the grand collection of felines she's tended in her Michigan home since he was a child. His mellifluous bass voice can become a wonderful alto and almost soprano when he channels this woman – with warmth and only the most gentle and loving sense of irony. The same can be said of the aunt who is a frequent visitor to the home. Late in the piece, when she discovers that she has an aneurism that will require extensive brain surgery, there are no hysterics, either on his part or hers. Instead, he uses beautiful imagery – his ear detaching and drifting away – to describe the way in which he disconnects from the moment in which he hears the news. It's language like this, and Keckler's ability to spin a story into something almost resembling a mystery, that gives "Jukebox" its incredible pull on theatergoers.

Keckler does not limit the piece – which gets its name from a game his mother played with his father, in which she could sing any song that her husband might randomly select – to his childhood and adult memories of mom. He also includes what could be considered standard fare for any artist in New York, a description of his day job, but even here, Keckler creates something that is not only fresh, but also slightly eerie, and wonderfully amusing. The same can be said for the sequence in which he brings to life an evening spent with his upper middle-aged voice teacher (another superb characterization).

Directed by Elizabeth Gimbel, Keckler's characterizations – particularly of the three women – retain an individuality, both in demeanor and vocalization, that impresses, but there is a lurching quality to both the script and the production as it segues between different sequences. It's a little like the jarring disconnects that one experiences when old jukeboxes are playing and records need to be mechanically swapped. With some minor revisions to both script and staging, it's a pretty certain bet that the piece would flow with an easy grace and that this gifted performer and his unique show that combines story and song, dispassion and true emotion could deliver a tremendous emotional punch. As it is, one watches "Jukebox" with an appreciative sense of how promising the work is all around.

---- Andy Propst

Human Jukebox continues through March 8 at The Club at La MaMa ETC (74A East 4th Street). Performances are Friday & Saturday at 10pm; Sunday at 5:30pm. For tickets and further information, visit: www.lamama.org.