Queens Blvd., Paul Corrigan's gay farce that engendered controversy because of its stereotypical characters, closed July 20 after 16 previews and 32 regular performances. The Off-Broadway comedy at the Players Theatre opened June 23.

Vincent J. Cardinal directed the nutty piece, about a male couple in a tiny Queens apartment trying to figure out their hunky new roommate. "How can they keep him in their gilded birdcage," the press release asked, "after he's seen Fire Island?"

Russell Leib, Steve Hayes and Tony Meindl comprised the Queens Blvd. cast. Leib appeared on Broadway in Amadeus and Big River; Hayes is a Backstage Bistro Award-winner for his cabaret work, and Meindl appeared Off-Broadway in Party.

Author Corrigan is the director of PBS-TV's "Theatre Talk" program and has served as a resident writer for Off-Off-Broadway's La MaMa ETC. Director Cardinal wrote the play, The Colorado Catechism, which was staged at the now-defunct Circle Repertory in Manhattan.

Designing Queens Blvd. were Bill Clarke (set), Brian Aldous (lighting) and Mary Myers (costumes). As a special promotion, Queens, NY dwellers who showed proof of residency were treated to a free look at the show's first preview, June 9. Official previews began the next day.

As reported by columnist Michael Riedel of the NY Daily News (Corrigan is the director of "Theatre Talk," a public television theatre show hosted by Riedel), Queens Blvd. proved unpopular with the gay community because its characters included a queen who liked to cook and a prissy bachelor who likes to dress like Audrey Hepburn.

--By David Lefkowitz