Funnyman extraordinaire Leslie Jordan unveils his latest autobiographical solo vehicle, based on the entertainer's recently released book of the same name. The 4-foot-11 sprite — familiar to audiences for his Emmy-winning role as the caustically funny Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace and his acclaimed characterizations in Del Shores plays — combines self-deprecating jokes about his homosexuality with amusing showbiz dish and assorted personal confessions. The 90-minute piece is quite entertaining, but some material feels repetitive. The script isn't as satisfying as Jordan's Like a Dog on Linoleum from 2004, a richer mix of ribald humor and moving reflections that provided a profounder glimpse of the vulnerable human being behind the perpetual clown. Trip is more jokey and less revelatory.
Nonetheless, this audacious trouper — self-described as "the gayest man I know" — is a joy to watch, and the bulk of the show, under the adept direction of David Galligan, is a hoot. Jordan lands boffo laughs, sometimes at the expense of actor colleagues such as Cloris Leachman. The journey of the title refers to the actor's coming to terms with his gayness and insecurities to eke out personal serenity and a stellar career, conquering self-loathing, homophobia in the industry, and the ravages of chemical addictions. He begins by describing his stifling childhood and adolescence, growing up in the closet in Chattanooga, Tenn. He charts his arrival in Hollywood in 1982 on a Greyhound bus with only $1,200 and recounts sidesplitting anecdotes about TV series he has appeared in, alongside stars such as Mark Harmon and George Clooney. What's sadly missing are tidbits from Jordan's most popular roles — such as the viperous Beverly Leslie, the feisty institutionalized drag queen Brother Boy from Shores' Sordid Lives (onstage, in a film version, and on the new Logo series), or the tragicomic barfly Peanut from Shores' Southern Baptist Sissies, which justifiably earned Jordan a clean sweep from L.A.'s award-bestowing groups. Yet there's plenty here to satisfy Jordan aficionados, and it will likely engender new fans from among those who had heretofore never experienced his special brand of mischievous magic.
Presented by and at the Renberg Theatre, Lily Tomlin Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, The Village, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., L.A. Dec. 4-21. Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. www.lagaycenter.org/boxoffice or www.thelesliejordan.com/tour.