“King of Kings’ Has Humor, Chutzpah

Jaffe Cohen is a comedian’s comedian, one with plenty of wit and unerring comic timing. A gay Jew, Cohen has a hybrid style of humor--part Borscht Belt, part quiche belt, with a belt of new age thrown into the mix.

Cohen was born and bred in Brooklyn--until the neighborhood went into decline and his family moved to a primarily Catholic enclave on Long Island. Cohen’s subsequent flirtation with Christianity and his own youthful anxieties about his homosexuality form the basis for “The King of Kings and I,” Cohen’s solo show at Highways.

Formerly titled “My Life as a Christian,” Cohen’s free-wheeling, stream-of-consciousness narrative, developed with and originally directed by Michael Zam, is has enough uproarious one-liners to feed a multitude of stand-up acts.

Those who want to stretch a point might argue that Cohen’s acrid riff is of the self-hating variety. Please. After all, what is stand-up but sounding one’s personal experience--insecurities and all--for that universal chord? Whether you are gay or straight, Jewish, Christian or unaffiliated, this show will tickle you pink.

* “The King of Kings and I,” Highways, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica. Friday-Sunday only, 8:30 p.m. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.