The little dog laughed. I guess he doesn't see much theater

When I was in New York earlier this month I had the chance to see Douglas Carter Beane's latest play The Little Dog Laughed starring Tom Everett Scott, Johnny Galecki, and Julie White. To nutshell the plot for you, Scott's up-and-coming character is an actor on his way to superstardom who falls for Galecki, a hustler who might or might not be gay. White plays Scott's ruthless agent who won't let a little thing like Scott's happiness get in the way of their success. Given all the news lately about closeted stars coming out and being outed, Dog had the opportunity to be something fresh. Too bad then that it felt like something out of the late 80's or early 90's. It was as if recent events had passed the play by, leaving it feeling rather antiquated. Rather than an actor contemplating a fake marriage and falling for a hustler (yawn!) it would have been more interesting to see an actor in a real relationship dealing with the pressures of the closet and reacting to other actor's actually having come out. The show has received rave reviews and I have to confess to being rather baffled. It's supposed to be a very dark comedy, but the comedy part was little apparent. Jokes about Hollywood types being finicky eaters who eat nothing but salads? That was old when movies were still only black-and-white. Judging from the audience reaction, they weren't terribly amused either. The one exception was Ms. White who steals the show as the ruthless agent. Yes, it's a part we've seen before, but she takes it so far over the top it's hard not to appreciate it. At the very least there's a Tony nomination in her future. And if you're going just see Scott naked, fugghedabout it. His backside is bare for all of two seconds. Galecki goes full frontal, but that isn't why you go to the theater, is it? I meant that's what the internet is for. If you're going to be in New York anytime soon and are looking for some queer themed theater let me suggest something along the lines of The Drowsy Chaperone, a musical/fantasy narrated by a gay man. Or try the revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company about a bisexual man and starring the just come out Raul Esparza. And for something completely different, might I suggest Theater Couture's revival of Stephen King's Carrie which first premiered--disastrously--as a musical back in 1988. Proving he is no snob, King has agreed to let Couture do a camp version of the production which will star Sherry Levine (aka Keith Levy) as the outcast with telekinetic powers. It opens December 9th just in time to help with your holiday blues. After all, what says Xmas cheer like death, dismemberment, and pig's blood?