Naked Boys Singing

Macha Theatre
1107 Kings Rd., WeHo
Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m. Sun. 7 p.m.
Through Nov. 22
Tickets $34.95
plays411.com/naked boys

According to novelist Thomas Wolfe, you can’t go home again, but Robert Schrock seems to have proven otherwise. Eleven years after Schrock’s slightly naughty but unequivocally nifty musical revue Naked Boys Singing premiered at the Celebration Theatre, this venerable showman brings the phenomenally successful show back to the city where it originated. In a worthy revival of one of L.A.’s most popular gay-oriented theater offerings ever (which still thrives in an Off-Broadway production that opened in 1999), Schrock and ace musical director-accompanist Gerald Sternbach provide a wonderful sense of déjà vu for those of us who saw the original production. Meanwhile, Naked Boys virgins get a chance to share in the exuberant fun.

The material in this sparkling revue remains the same (with just one new song), but the show has been rejuvenated with the freshness that eight vibrant performers (Eric B. Anthony, Jeffrey A. Johns, Jack Harding, Timothy Hearl, Marco Infante, Tony Melson, Daniel Rivera, Victor Tang) bring to the table. Schrock and eleven other songwriters (Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Perry Hart, Shelly Markham, Jim Morgan, David Pevsner, Rayme Sciaroni, Mark Savage, Ben Schaechter, Trance Thompson, Bruce Vilanch and Mark Winkler) composed the numbers.

Bawdy humor, rueful romantic longing, salutes to showbiz icons and other topics are included. Though several numbers expectedly deal with aspects of nudity and sexuality, other songs more or less ignore the nudity, or make it a subtle component in a broader theme. What makes this piece so uplifting is that in the end, the initially startling element of eight actors baring it all for some 75 minutes onstage feels almost beside the point. That aspect seemed absolutely liberating in 1998, and even today offers a welcome challenge to our society’s puritanical fears of sexuality and the human body.

But sociological matters aside, above all, this show remains a down-and-dirty frolic, offering a full measure of laughs, enjoyable tunes and occasional poignancy. The gifted ensemble starts things off with a tongue-in-cheek (pardon the pun) opener, “Gratuitous Nudity,” then the performers go on to explore such issues as the challenge of being a naked maid on call, penis-anxiety in a locker room, the life of a perky porn star and much more. This has been a stellar year for gay-themed theater locally, making the timing of this revival seem perfect. Yet Naked Boys Singing not only offers a surefire blockbuster for gay audiences; it seems a cinch that crossover audiences will also be seduced by its charms. —Les Spindle

Parade

Mark Taper Forum
Tues.-Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2:30 & 8 p.m., Sun. 1 & 6:30 p.m.
Through Nov. 15
Tickets $20-80
centertheatregroup.org

Sometimes it takes much too long for extraordinary shows to gain their due recognition. That time has finally arrived for Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown’s exquisite musical drama. Despite winning Tony awards for Uhry’s powerful book and Brown’s gorgeous score, this 1998 Broadway show seemed destined to become little more than a blip in theater history databases, due to mixed reviews and a brief run for Harold Prince’s original production. Thankfully, this masterful new production evens the score.

Parade’s 2007 revival, staged by Donmar Warehouse in London, was reportedly a vast improvement over the original Prince production, so Donmar’s revisions were brought along to L.A., courtesy of the director of the London staging, Rob Ashford. The fact-based story depicts a tragic miscarriage of justice in Atlanta in 1913, when Jewish factory superintendent Leo Frank was falsely convicted of murdering 13-year-old Mary Phagan, during outrageous kangaroo court proceedings. He was eventually dragged from his prison cell by a mob and lynched. Issues of anti-Semitism, North vs. South sentiments following the Civil War, self-serving politicians, corrupt court practices and mob hysteria all contributed to Frank being railroaded for a crime he didn’t commit.

A dynamite cast brings the colorful characters to life. Making his musical theater debut, T.R. Knight (well known for TV’s Grey’s Anatomy) triumphs in the challenging role of Frank, and his work is beautifully complemented by sweet-voiced Lara Pulver as Leo’s devoted wife Lucille, who works tirelessly for his vindication. They receive first-rate support from a large cast—several playing multiple roles.

Ashford’s production strips away the glitz of Prince’s original staging, allowing for an intimacy and grace that better serve the play’s operatic power and dark sensibility. Brown’s richly evocative score is splendidly served by Tom Murray’s musical direction and David Cullen’s orchestrations. Contributing to the triumph of mood are Christopher Oram’s inspired set and costumes and Neil Austin’s terrific lighting. This stunningly performed and magnificently staged rendition proves once and for all that this musical is a masterpiece. —L.S.