By Mike Hoban

‘The View Upstairs’ – Written by Max Vernon; Directed by Paul Daigneault; Scenic Design by Abby Shenker; Costume Design by Dustin Todd Rennells; Lighting Design by Abigail Wang; Sound Design by Elektra T. Newman. Presented by the Speakeasy Stage Company at the BCA Plaza Theatre through June 22.

Given that The View Upstairs is a fictional retelling of the final night of the Upstairs Lounge, the New Orleans gay bar that was turned into a fiery deathtrap by an arsonist’s match in 1973 (claiming the lives of 32 people), it’s a bit hard to find the proper descriptor without sounding disrespectful. But the truth of the matter is that this musical, now being given its New England premiere by Speakeasy Stage, is often funny and joyful – for the first 95 minutes anyway – despite its dark undertones. Equal parts Twilight Zone episode, gay sitcom, documentary, and cautionary tale on the ways that the obsession with social media is stealing our collective souls, View is first and foremost a worthwhile entertainment.

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