Kiss Me, Guido

Swish meets swagger in director Tony Vitale's merry debut when Frankie (Nick Scotti), a hunky pizza maker, mistakes GWM for Guy With Money in a roommate ad. Before you can say culture clash, the Italian-American naïf leaves his Bronx world of hot calzones for the West Village world of hot cutoffs, only to discover his potential housemate (Anthony Barrile) is a gay. The ensuing comedy of errors romps like a feature-length Three's Company; the two spat, then scheme to outfox a neurotic, viciously sketched landlady (Molly Price).

Vitale spices his satire with all the subtlety of an anchovy pie. Still, the comedy tweaks its stereotypes just enough that it never truly offends. The hey-we're-all-the-same-after-all theme wallops with equal heavy-handedness; yet, wrapped in a wickedly funny theater-production finale, it's easy to stomach. And add Anthony DeSando, as Frankie's slimy, medallion-laden brother, to this summer's roster of scene stealers -- his hilarious seduction techniques just might bring back Binaca. At the Kendall Square.

-- Alicia Potter