Making Paradise: The West Hollywood Musical

Cornerstone Theater Company and the city of West Hollywood are each commemorating their 25th year. Fittingly, the city and the ever-adventurous theater group have joined forces to produce this new musical celebrating the struggle of determined WeHo residents in the early 1980s to gain official cityhood for the gay-dominated mecca. Veteran Angeleno playwright Tom Jacobson has penned his first libretto, collaborating with composer Deborah Wicks La Puma, lyricist Shishir Kurup, and directors Michael John Garcés and Mark Valdez.

In staging the play's action in locales where the real drama played out—including Fiesta Hall, where organizational meetings occurred—the creators have fashioned a stirring and resonant tribute to a watershed era in LGBT political and cultural history. The labyrinth of subplots and characters occasionally seems a bit dizzying, but the production thrives on colorful and energetic performances, a highly appealing rock-flavored score, and exhilarating portraits of impassioned members of beleaguered subcultures staking their claim to a piece of the American dream.

The narrative shifts back and forth between 2009-10 and 1983-84, starting in an iconic WeHo coffee shop. Friends from the historic era reunite and their memories come to life. Jacobson interviewed many pioneers of the movement; the characters are composites, and the story is sprinkled with fastidiously researched factual details. Immigrants from the Soviet Union, seniors, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender citizens, and straight people lived in the community, and the same mix is evident today. Issues of rent control, social oppression, and cultural pride led the WeHo residents to band together to establish a political entity that would support their rights and individualities.

Some actors portray contemporary and past versions of characters; in other cases, the two versions are played by different actors. The ensemble effort is triumphant. Particularly indelible impressions are made by triple threat Derek Manson as a hedonistic law student with a touch of Sally Bowles, Lori Kaye as a fiery activist, Desiree Jade Sol as a valiant transgender disowned by her family, Richard Rocha as an ill-fated young Latino student, Peter Howard as a compassionate Russian photographer driven by pride in his native culture, and Peter James Smith as a sexually conflicted Episcopal priest.

Contributing to the production's roaring success are Shigeru Yaji's simple but atmospheric scenic design, Meghan E. Healey's evocative costumes, Tom Ontiveros' lighting, Alyssa Ishii's sound design, Kyle de Tarnowsky's music direction, and the rousing five-member band.

Presented by Cornerstone Theater Company at Fiesta Hall, Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Oct. 21–Nov. 7. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. www.cornerstonetheater.org.