One-Man Musical ‘Bitter’ Hits Right Notes

In the crowded solo performance field, David Pevsner’s “To Bitter and Back,” at the Tamarind Theatre, stands out by virtue of its relatively uncommon format as a one-man musical. The solo arena is appropriate to the show’s overarching theme--a lifetime of loneliness.

Title notwithstanding, this semiautobiographical pastiche of rhyme, song and monologue is mostly funny and upbeat, thanks to Pevsner’s whimsical lyrics and charmingly self-deprecating humor, which turns narcissism into unpretentious confession.

Pevsner also makes an engaging raconteur as he breezes through his past, beginning with his relatively untainted childhood as a middle-class Jew in Skokie, Ill. His formative experiences included family dinners in tacky coffee shops, hammy performances in third-grade musical numbers and way too much television viewing. A confirmed outsider by adolescence, Pevsner chronicles the hazing and ridicule of schoolmates over his still-repressed homosexuality, which eroded “the purity of a little boy who knew what he wanted in his soul, but had no idea what it meant.”

Coming to terms with sexual orientation is a familiar topic in gay-themed plays, and Pevsner’s story adds nothing new to the genre. Even his allusions to adult disappointments and betrayals are couched in very generic terms. Only in closing does his narrative set aside banter to delve into intimate pain and conflict, when he confronts his confused reaction to the death of his much-loved elderly baby-sitter.

What the piece lacks in soulful depths, however, it makes up for with arch perspective and personality, showcased to greatest advantage in Randy Brenner’s staging. Pevsner, who contributed some of the songs in “Naked Boys Singing,” is a witty lyricist, wielding rhymes with Cole Porter-esque sophistication. Energized by Jamie Forsyth’s piano accompaniment, Pevsner’s adept musical comedy-style delivery compensates for limited vocal range, and keeps us rooting for him--whether in finding happiness or hitting the right notes. --PHILIP BRANDES

* “To Bitter and Back,” Tamarind Theatre, 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends April 1. $20. (323) 960-4430. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.