DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

At the Village Theater, 158 Bleecker St. Ticketmaster, (212) 307-4100.

‘DREAM a Little Dream” is like a reel of “A Mighty Wind” minus the satire – a Canadian folkie’s account of his rock ‘n’ roll doings in the mad ’60s.

The folkie in this case is “Papa” Denny Doherty, who left Nova Scotia to join several folk groups before becoming part of the Mamas and the Papas, which enjoyed four sensational years on the messy mountaintop of success before breaking up.

Doherty is a likable and honest raconteur who interrupts his solo tale-telling (book co-written by Paul Ledoux) with songs, mostly Mamas and Papas hits.

“California Dreamin,’ ” “Monday Monday,” “I Saw Her Again,” “Creeque Alley” – they’re all here, sung by Doherty and three singers impersonating tall Papa John Phillips, hefty Mama Cass Elliot and beauteous Mama Michelle Phillips.

These singers – Richard Burke as John, Doris Mason as Cass and Angela Gaylor as Michelle – are rather insipid, and the band muddles the music, replacing the clear beauty of the ’60s folk-rock sound with a driving rock noise that is now rather than then.

Still, it’s Doherty’s tale – about the amatory history of this fab four – that helps us understand just how the songs grew from the group’s experience.

As Doherty tells it, it goes like this: Cass loved Denny who loved Michelle who loved (mostly) John.

It was Cass who first met Denny in New York’s Hotel Albert and saw the musical future after hearing The Beatles. And it was John who was the musical genius who never truly cottoned to Cass.

Still, the four worked musically, bringing a lyrical lilt to folk – until their feuds exploded and they broke up.

In a touching reminiscence of Cass, who died in 1974, Doherty admits he was never man enough to offer her the love she wanted.

Moments like this are the best thing in the show.