Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead

Hudson Backstage Theatre
6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
Friday-Saturday 8 p.m.,
Sun. 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Through July 6
Tickets: $25-30
havoktheatre.com

Last year, in his award-winning production of Zanna, Don’t! director Nick DeGruccio staged a gloriously entertaining gay-themed frolic that imparted subtly powerful messages of love and tolerance. As if to provide a bookend to that terrific show, DeGruccio now brings us the L.A. premiere of Bert V. Royal’s whimsical yet surprisingly moving off-Broadway comedy, which likewise incorporates gently profound gay themes. This lovely existential fable cleverly satirizes the timeless Charlie Brown mystique, while viewing the phenomenon from a new perspective. Imagine pint-sized worrywart Charlie in his teen years, as he and his wacky pals carry their childhood insecurities and loopy personality traits into adolescence, facing new challenges: drugs and alcohol, raging hormones, peer jealousy and more.

Philosophical everyman CB (the charming Joseph Porter) is struggling with several pressing matters, though none is quite as thorny as his suppressed homoerotic feelings for the geeky piano wizard, Beethoven (sublimely played by Wyatt Fenner), aka Peanuts’ Schroeder. CB’s motley support system includes his identity-seeking sister (the hilarious Andrea Bowen), aka Sally; goofy pothead Van (wryly funny Jaden Leigh), aka Linus; and Van’s control-freak sister (Megan McNulty, a hoot), aka Lucy. Stud-muffin Matt (the superb Nick Ballard), aka Pigpen, has morphed into a germ-phobic neat freak and an egotistical blowhard who’s intensely homophobic. Evoking belly laughs as two bad-gal bimbos are Christine Lakin as Tricia, aka Peppermint Patty, and Lauren Robyne as Marcy. DeGruccio and his attractive and energetic cast mine the material for every ounce of ribald humor and lump-in-the-throat drama. It’s unlikely that you’ll find a more delectable summertime tonic.
—Les Spindle

Songs From an Unmade Bed

Celebration Theatre
7051B Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m.
Through Aug. 10
Tickets: $25
celebrationtheatre.com

Mark Campbell’s clever lyrics, appealing melodies from 18 composers and a fine performance from actor-singer Dave Barrus make for an entertaining show that’s part cabaret revue, part song cycle. It’s unified by the theme of a Manhattan gay man’s myriad romantic musings as he lies in bed on a sleepless night. The musical styles range from pop ballads to traditional Broadway ditties to dissonant numbers in the Stephen Sondheim-Adam Guettel-Jason Robert Brown vein. Although the material is sophisticated and encompasses a range of humorous and dramatic vignettes, this is more a solid solo performer’s vehicle than a breakout musical.

Barrus is an engaging and intelligent performer, with a rich and versatile voice. He smoothly draws us into the fanciful thoughts, anecdotes and romantic yearnings of his nameless character. Director Patrick Pearson keeps the show flowing at an agreeable pace, and there is splendid accompaniment by Jake Anthony (music director and pianist), cellist Stephen Green and percussionist Dylan Campbell. The songs take Barrus through joy, sadness, insecurity, despair and many variations thereof. Among the funniest numbers are “An Admission” (music by Joseph Thalken), in which the character reveals that he preferred seeing an ex-lover with his clothes on and “Exit Right” (music by Stephen Lutvak), offering affectionate jabs at the world of theater wrapped in the challenging experience of bedding an actor. “Our Separate Ways” (music by Stephen Hoffman) is a sharply poignant portrait of losing a loved one. Those in the mood for an unpretentious evening of undemanding fare won’t be disappointed.
—L.S.

In On It

Chandler Studio Theatre
12443 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood
Friday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m.
Through July 12, Tickets: $22
theprodco.com

There’s a hint of Pirandello, a smidgen of Pinter and a lot of playful mind games in Daniel MacIvor’s loopy 2001 play-within-a-play. Though the piece comes across as less than the sum of its clever parts, director Michael Van Duzer and two terrific actors (Blake Anthony and Josh Gordon) provide an amusing and intermittently moving 70 minutes.

The actors portray two contentious lovers who seem to be creating a play, which is about illness, adultery, father-son relationships and tragic endings. Or is it? As scenes shift back and forth between the play in development and the interactions of the actor-lovers, Anthony and Gordon frequently switch roles. The multiplicity of emotions the characters experience in the play-within-the-play are meant to reflect upon the trajectory of a relationship. As in real life, the moods switch from sweetness to anger to despair to giddiness (in a hilarious dance interlude, a real Dennis Potter moment). More than anything, this production whets one’s appetite to see these gifted actors team up in a better play.
—L.S.