Perez Hilton Saves the Universe (or at least the greater Los Angeles area): The Musical

Description
**** (four stars) Things are not looking good for Zac Efron. The twinkie star of High School Musical is half-naked, ball-gagged and stuck in Perez Hilton’s wet dream. Thus starts this unapologetically offensive pop-lite romp, penned by NYU grads Randy Blair, Timothy Michael Drucker and Zach Redler. Bolstered by speedy costume changes, a phenomenal supporting cast and, as Paris Hilton might say, a “wicked-smart” script, Perez Hilton is a nonstop barrage of TMZ references and one-liners hurled at the great pillars of American society (Starbucks, Olive Garden, the Church of Scientology, etc.). It includes “cameos” by Amy Winehouse, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, R. Kelly, the Olsen Twins and repeated scene-stealer Kathy Griffin (Laura Jordan)—all of whom rely on the “star-fucking wanna-be” for press and attention; without the Queen of All Media’s lies, how could they ensure their own fame? As Perez, cowriter Blair is immediately likable—probably more so than the real thing. He crafts his magic on a blinged-out laptop, sings with all the gusto of a Broadway star and, by the end, convinces his audience that, yes, dammit, Perez will triumph over evil. (The evildoers, in this case, are jihadist terrorists who’ve hatched a plan to bomb the crowds at Britney Spears’s wake.) The plot sounds flimsy and ridiculous because it is. But like its titular character, Perez Hilton goes down easy—just the way we like it.—Ashlea Halpern, Senior Editor