3.5 out of 5 stars

Cocaine. Brunch. Murder. Jean Smart. And that covers only the first five minutes of “Messy White Gays,” the irreverent, lewd and self-aware new comedy from Drew Droege. “Messy” skewers problematic tendencies of its titular crowd, though it could definitely expand its content beyond its target audience. Writer/performer Droege squanders plot and depth for innumerable insult jokes and deep-cut queer references, which are so densely packed that even with some things not landing, you’ll be laughing almost constantly. Although characters are underdeveloped, Aaron Jackson gives a necessarily grounded performance as Caden, a perfect foil to Pete Zias ludicrously clownish Thacker. — Justin McCallum

At The Duke on 42nd Street at New 42 Studios, through Jan. 11, 2026; messywhitegays.com (Review date: Nov. 2, 2025)