A suitably frothy, tuneful staging by West Coast Ensemble makes it easy to understand the off-Broadway success of the whimsical musical fairy tale, "Zanna, Don't!"

Creator Tim Acito (with Alexander Dinelaris) borrowed the title pun and dimension-hopping antics from "Xanadu" to launch us into an alternate reality that mirrors present-day Americana — except everyone in it is gay.

Without taking itself seriously, the show wittily tweaks homophobia with a parade of inverted stereotypes. Elfin matchmaker Zanna (Danny Calvert) presides over romance in the reproductively improbable town of Heartsville. In a daring move, Zanna and his fellow drama club students perform a topical musical about whether heterosexuals should be allowed in the military — as good a pretext as any for a campy production number (Christine Lakin and Paul Nygro's choreography consistently transcends the limitations of the thimble-sized stage).

When the star quarterback, Steve (Brent Schindele) wins the big game by catching his own 40-yard pass, the victory is seen in its proper perspective. ("I'm glad we beat them — their uniforms were awful.") Of course, Steve could never compete with the honor afforded the school's nerdy chess champion (Dan Pacheco). Under Zanna's spell, the two pair up in a match made in heaven — until Steve's role in the school play forces him to kiss lesbian Kate (Rebecca Johnson, the cast's musical comedy standout).