ON STAGE

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead

Hudson Backstage Theatre, through July 6
***1/2

Take those pintsized philosophers from the popular panel strip, send them through the wonder years with its attendant lashings of hormones, and you have CB (an engaging Joseph Porter), bereft after the death of his dog from rabies and adrift in oh, so many ways. Much more happens in Bert V. Royal's comedy, of course; CB's Sister (Andrea Bowen) keeps casting about for an identity, Van (Jaden Leigh) has upgraded from a blanket to a joint, and Beethoven (Wyatt Fenner), the formerly filthy Matt (Nick Ballard), the formerly sporty Tricia (Christine Lakin), and eternal sidekick Marcy (Lauren Robyne) lead emotionally fraught high school lives. As consistently marvelous as the cast is, Megan McNulty is electric as Van's (delightfully unhinged) sister, still offering psychiatric advice for 5 cents despite the fact she is herself institutionalized. Nick DeGruccio's direction is as bright and inventive as the material, nimbly leaping from the sharply satirical to the emotionally resonant, while never losing sight of the grounded whimsy of the comic from which the piece draws its inspiration. —WENZEL JONES

Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made. Ever.

UCB Theatre
***

You cannot imagine how immeasurably the iconic frolic in the fountain scene is enhanced by playing it back without sound, accompanied only by the unedited directions from the screenplay. The film is presented as a masterpiece of feminism, with the discussion led by film and gender studies professor Jackie Flynn Clark (the pretty wonderful Jackie Clark) as she interviews the film's piggish scribe, Joe Eszterhas (Seth Morris). As it happens, even the directions, read by John Clarke Flynn (the droll John Flynn) are deplorable (the Henrietta "Mama" Bazoom character is introduced on the page as "very fat, unfuckably fat…"), and scenes are re-enacted by the resident troupe (Lennon Parham, Julie Brister, Casey Wilson, and Owen Burke). As Nomi Malone ("Know me? I'm alone." intones Eszterhas by way of subtext excavation), Parham proves quite adept at capturing the blank-to-ballistic-in-seconds style of the original. Finding the floorshow "Goddess" to be an exploration of the Christ myth is divine inspiration, and proves once more how rich a source, and how valuable a cultural touchstone, Showgirls remains. —W.J.

LIMITED RUN

KLÜB

The Actors' Gang satire, reminiscent of A Chorus Line on acid, returns by popular demand, just don't forget, there is no escape! The Ivy Substation. Closes Sat., July 19. (Thurs.-Sat. only) 8 p.m. $25. www.theactorsgang.com.

Free Style

Come hear what happens when L.A.'s urban youth meets the hottest Broadway composers in this unforgettable concert under the stars. Ford Amphitheatre. Fri., July 11. 8:30 p.m. $40. www.reprise.org.

Of Equal Measure

The world premiere of Tanya Barfield's work examining racial tensions and 1950s politics runs in Culver City for two weeks only. Kirk Douglas Theatre. Fri., July 11-Sun., July 27. $20-40. 213/628-2772. www.centertheatregroup.org.

La Cage aux Folles

Enjoy Broadway’s first gay-themed musical served with a modern twist. Set in present-day Silver Lake, this version of the 1983 classic pays homage to the glories of old-style drag bars while stressing the importance of respect for diversity. Knightsbridge Theatre. Through Sun., July 13. (Sat. & Sun. only) $30. 323/667-0955. www.knightsbridgetheatre.com.

Homo Must

Assassins

The West Coast Ensemble presents Stephen Sondheim's controversial musical exploring the assassination attempts on the leaders of our country. El Centro Theatre. Opens Fri., July 11-Sun., Aug. 31. (Runs Thurs.-Sun.) $34. 323/ 460-4443. www.tix.com.