This is a great time to see Gay and Lesbian shows! And there is much happening in the LA area this summer.

The Lush Life Plays it Cool

Hollywood’s Celebration Theatre held its 2nd annual benefit - “The Lush Life” - on June 3 on the set of their new, must-see, jazz musical show, “Play It Cool.” The lobby and backstage areas were also turned into one big bar scene. With song previews from their show, it was a great night, and hopefully raised the needed funds for LA’s only self-identified, GLBT theater.

Top & Bottom

Another new show at The Complex in Hollywood, written and directed by Kevin West, has a great title, “Top & Bottom.” The show consists of two, one-acts: “A Fairy’s Tale” and “Top & Bottom.” The first features Dudley Beene, who plays multiple parts in a tender fantasy about peasant boy, Adam, played by Mark Gaddis. Adam wants to marry a prince, or does he?

The more serious comedy is “Top & Bottom,” where James (Gaddis) acts on his fantasy to be a dominant top, and encounters a very chatty bottom (David Clark Smith).

Both are able casts, and provide a lot of fun for this very entertaining evening. James Gaddis is good to look at too. Dudley Beene and David Clark Smith, who played Little Kiwi in Celebration Theatre’s Buddies, are both very funny.

The Id and Bob

Another hilarious comedy is “The Id and Bob” by Jed Seidel at The Lillian Theatre in Hollywood. The show stars Ken Barnett as Matt, a gay man looking for a new relationship. He is advised by the voices in his head, including Adam Huss (as his ID) and Cecilia Antoinette (his therapist Roberta).

Matt being a likeable, but not too successful journalist, meets Bob (usually played by Rex Lee from Entourage, but on opening night understudied by Paul Tigue) the blind date from hell. Bob is a self-centered fashion consultant for celebrities, and Paul Tigue had the character down pat. Every time he came on stage it was sheer madness, and, even though Matt can’t stand him as a date, he is a great friend. This light-hearted comedy with lots of laughs is just right for a Los Angeles summer.

Also playing in the LA area

• “Nude on a Stool” by Bill Becker at the Working Stage Theater in West Hollywood
• “Billy Bishop Goes to War” by John Gray at The Colony in Burbank
• “The Tina Dance” by Michael Kearns, docudrama on the crystal meth crisis, at The Space at Fountain’s End in Silver Lake
• “Season of Shores” works by Del Shores, with Leslie Jordan and Delta Burke in some performances, at the Zephyr in Hollywood
• “Corpus Christi” by Terrence McNally at MCC in North Hollywood
• “No One Is Alone” women’s chorus Vox Femina concert; June 24 at Zipper Hall, LA, and June 25 at Altadena Community Church in Altadena. 310-922-0025