THEATER REVIEWS : ‘Little Mikey’ Travels Over Old Territory

Cute tykes in cereal commercials notwithstanding, there aren’t many worthwhile shows with a hero named Mikey. It’s a moniker that tells you all you need to know about the swell fella and wholesome tone of “The Ballad of Little Mikey” at the Celebration Theatre.

This perky coming-of-age musical tracks the escapades of the titular clean-cut UCLA student (vivacious Mark Smith) as he discovers his homosexuality, meets guys, becomes an activist, and, along the way, finds a mate.

Most of the tale is told in flashback to 1980, with the present-tense scenes serving primarily as quick signposts toward the moment when our gallant hero chooses (surprise, surprise) to go on fighting the good fight. He even turns down a megabucks job offer in order to do this. And whaddaya know, his boyfriend doesn’t mind. Mikey! Hey, Mikey!

This overly determined string of events (a.k.a. the coming-out play) has become a staple plot line not only in gay theater, but in many dramas of recognition and identity. In feminist theater, the story’s about a housewife who discovers a vocation or her own sexuality. In various ethnicity-specific theaters, it’s about the mainstreaming, material success or politicization of a member of the younger generation. But the point’s nearly always the same: to show a group to itself, and also to the world.

Gay theater as a literature has evolved way beyond this stage, though, so it’s odd to see a new musical traipse over the same ground. But even if the content is facile, “The Ballad of Little Mikey” is performed with such exuberance--by a skilled ensemble, under the energetic direction of Celebration artistic director Robert Schrock--that Mark Savage’s book, music and lyrics seem more substantial than they really are.

* “The Ballad of Little Mikey,” Celebration Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Thursdays-Sundays, 8 p.m. Ends Feb. 20. $20. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.