Entertainment

DON’T BOX HER IN

GINA Gershon’s résumé includes: 75 movies and TV shows, a lead role on Broadway, and a children’s book, “Camp Creepy Time,” which came out in May.

You’d have thought her new CD, “In Search of Cleo,” would round out her eclecticism – not least because it’s about her missing cat – but she trumps herself with an October residency of burlesque at the downtown club The Box starting Sunday.

The album grew from a Jew’s harp/guitar project with Leroy Powell to collaborations with the likes of Christian McBride, Ivan Neville and Slash, prompting Gershon to put a show to it, which led her to think, “Well, I might as well have dancing girls!” (If you can’t make the show, “there’s a video now, too,” she advises.)

She describes her show as “drinking theater.”

How’s that?

“Instead of dinner theater.”

Gotcha.

“When I walked into The Box, the space informed me of what I wanted to do,” recalls Gershon, 45. Though it’s hard to know what to expect, as she explains, “It’s not quite theater, and it’s not quite music. This whole process reveals itself to me, so I’m following that. Someone may come and say, ‘Let’s take this to outer space,’ and I’ll think, ‘Oh, that sounds good.’ ”

Doesn’t it, though?

“At one point there is a meowing, howling part, but they’re not really cats, though I guess they could be cats at that moment,” Gershon continues.

If it’s any help, the CD plays a bit like Lucinda Williams doing Broadway, which isn’t surprising considering Gershon’s admiration for the former and odd relationship with the latter.

Gershon admits that though she has the T-shirt, she never saw “Cats” in its entirety: “I think I second-acted it.”

Come again?

“You know, you’re in school, you can’t afford the ticket, so as soon as intermission comes up you just pretend you were at intermission with everyone and you kind of sneak in.”

News to us, but evidently people do it all the time

“Bob Dylan second- acted it when he came to see me in ‘Cabaret.’ I had no idea he was there, and I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’ and he’s like ‘I forgot to get a ticket, so I snuck in.’

“Everyone second-acts it.”

What if someone second-acts her shows?

“God bless ’em,” Gershon laughs. “Except in my show there is no second act.”

Gina Gershon performs “In Search of Cleo” Sunday and Monday nights in October at The Box, 189 Chrystie St.; (212) 242-4201; for more information go to ginagershon.com