Review: MUSICAL COMEDY WHORE - A Raw, Unapologetic Look at An Escort's Past

MUSICAL COMEDY WHORE/book & lyrics by David Pevsner/directed by Randy Brenner/Celebration Theatre @ the Lex/thru June 21, 2016

In MUSICAL COMEDY WHORE, actor David Pevsner has written a most revealing musical autobiography that he performs himself, backed by the able musical accompaniment (and very funny, injecting vocal choruses) of Gerald Sternbach. Randy Brenner smartly directs Pevsner at a smooth, fast clip in this hour-and-a-half one-act. Pevsner's one-man musical fits seamlessly onto the Celebration Theatre's existing set for their again extended BOY FROM OZ.

A working actor for almost 20 years, Pevsner admits and graphically describes his tenure as an escort to supplement his beginning actor's income. Pevsner's extremely comfortable explicitly exposing his sexual exploits as he takes full command of the tiny Celebration Theatre stage whether in song or in always interesting narrative.

As an introverted, slightly-built teenager with a pronounced Jewish nose (as he describes himself), Pevsner eventually found his confidence and self-respect through his avid gym workouts and his numerous sexual encounters. His clever lyrics entertainingly communicate his initial shame in his pubescent appearance, his hero worship of first, TV actors (Flipper's Brian Kelly and The Time Tunnel's James Darren) and then, working strippers. When Pevsner finally finds someone to actually love emotionally, he sings his heart out in "Got To Give It Up For Love." Pevsner's quite winning in his self-depreciating exposé.

Wonder if you can guess from film title clues, the closeted actor Pevsner claims he had a sexual moment with???

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