‘Bed, Boys & Beyond’ Has a Familiar Ring

“Bed, Boys & Beyond” is the place where gay young men go looking for prospective Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now in Alfredo Alvarez and Jeff Dobbins’ musical revue now at the Hudson Avenue Theatre.

This comedy, built on Alvarez’s music, Dobbins’ book and lyrics and other material by Chad Miller and Ryan Perry, is a journey through what it’s like to be gay today in West Hollywood. Despite a competent crew of attractive young men (Omar D. Brancato, Parnell Damone, Tod Macofsky, Gabriel McPherson and Michael Paternostro), it only holds a level, much-traveled flight path, never soaring above the clouds.

The music covers everything from rewriting screenplays to give them a gay twist, learning how to live in “WeHo,” and politely pretending to be a happy couple to the perfect wedding and how gay couples should reference their chosen mates. Steven Benson’s snappy direction keeps a quick pace that helps this mostly lightweight material, but he also makes subtle transitions for the few somber moments.

This ran for four months in New York, so perhaps there’s been some tweaking to make this speak to the Los Angeles experience. Still, this pleasant little trifle breezes by without much new to say.

*

“Bed, Boys & Beyond,” Hudson Avenue Theatre, 6537 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Fridays, 8 p.m. Ends Sept. 5. $20. (323) 856-4200. Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes.