Diversionary’s ‘To My Girls’ a wacky, skin-baring comedic romp

In JC Lee’s cotton candy-colored comic romp “To My Girls,” six gay men spend a weekend in Palm Springs filming lip-synced pop songs for social media, sipping cocktails, clubbing and lounging in the pool.

But what should be a carefree celebration of gay life and friendship is more complex under the surface. Baby boomer Bernie, who owns the house, is a Trump voter who’s fed up with political correctness. Millennials Curtis, Castor, Leo and Jeff  — who have been friends for decades — discover the bonds of their relationship are fraying. And Gen Z invitee Omar defies expectations and categorization.

The two-act play made its San Diego premiere on Saturday at San Diego’s Diversionary Theatre under the playful and eye-popping direction of Jesse Marchese.

There are some heartfelt and serious topics addressed in this play about finding commonalities and community, but the play’s structure reminded me of an episode of the 1970s TV show “Three’s Company.”

One-liners, sight gags and sexual innuendo are churned out at a reliably steady pace, a crisis is introduced and then things wrap up neatly with a unifying lesson of foregiveness and togetherness. It feels formulaic, but fortunately there are multiple Spice Girls and Britney Spears dance numbers, some great costumes, wigs and go-go boots and lots of laughs to keep things fresh and lively.

Wil Bethmann has an edgy insincerity and crumbling bravado as Curtis, a narcissistic, 37-year-old content creator who isn’t as successful or young as he wants to be and can be unscrupulous in fulfilling his needs. Wilfred Paloma steals all his scenes as Castor, a flamboyant and frequently hysterical Starbucks worker who has been not so secretly in love with Curtis for years. In a bid to make Curtis jealous, Castor brings home from the nightclub the 20something Omar for an overnight hookup, but that misfires spectacularly.

Zack King is a standout with his likable, naturalistic performance as Leo, the smartest, most mature and selfless member of the friend group. Jocorey Mitchell, who San Diego audiences will remember from his professional debut in Cygnet’s “Hot Wing King” last spring, has a zen, comfortable-in-his-own-skin quality as Omar.

Frank DiPalermo gets some great one-liners as Bernie, the lonely homeowner who dotes on his pampered Pomeranian, Sophia. And an endearing, heart-on-his-sleeve Luke Harvey Jacobs arrives late in the second act as Jeff, another old friend whose visit was delayed by a breakup with his boyfriend and a car accident.

Mathys Herbert’s scenic design wonderfully captures Palm Springs’ iconic midcentury modern architecture with its sloped roof, concrete breeze block walls and space-age lighting. Danita Lee designed the eye-popping and frequently skin-baring costumes. Joshua Heming designed lighting and Remus Harrington designed sound. Cast member Luke Harvey Jacobs created the entertaining choreography for all the dance numbers.

“To My Girls” isn’t a hard-hitting, issues-oriented play. It’s a party to be enjoyed, and for those intergenerational LGBTQ community members who are reflected onstage, it’s sure to hit home.

‘To My Girls’

When: 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 7

Where: Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights

Tickets: $11.50-$66.50

Phone: 619-220-0097

Online: diversionary.org