Leslie Jordan is relentless. In his new solo show, he comes out at you like a hyperactive Energizer Bunny. A flamboyantly homosexual bunny.
As its title indicates, “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet” is both autobiographical and gay — very, very gay. Lest you think I make a big deal out of Jordan’s sexuality, be assured he beat me to it.
The diminutive writer-actor is best known for his stint on “Will & Grace” as Beverley Leslie, Karen Walker’s fey foe. Turns out that character was downright butch compared to the real-life Jordan, a cross between Paul Lynde, a queeny munchkin and Mr. Charles, the swishy cable-access host invented by Paul Rudnick.
Jordan has been talking about himself — a subject he clearly loves — for a while now. “Pink Carpet,” produced by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, follows such similarly introspective shows as “Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far” and “Like a Dog on Linoleum.” That last one covered themes that also pop up in “Pink Carpet” — Jordan’s Tennessee upbringing, his taste for masculine hustlers, his stint in rehab.
Even if you missed those shows, the anecdotes about growing up gay in a hostile environment sound familiar. But that doesn’t prevent the actor from forging ahead with infectious enthusiasm — and he’s never better than in the scene in which he throws himself on the floor, pretending to dive for a stray Quaalude.
Jordan’s quips should put an end to the myth that all gay men are witty: Saying “Honey, she’s evil” of Boy George doesn’t qualify as a zinger. At least the interludes during which he dances to “gay-bar music” — i.e., disco — are clichéd but fun.
Jordan’s energy sometimes gets the better of him, and he isn’t above malapropisms: He calls George Clooney’s sense of humor “infatuous.” But don’t expect any real dish, other than about Jordan himself. He doesn’t seem to tire of talking about his childhood. By the end of the show, we’re tired of hearing about it.
elisabeth.vincentelli
@nypost.com