‘Clinton the Musical’ Proves Unimpeachably Amusing

First came the gnashing of teeth over Hillary Clinton’s private email account, and her soon-to-be announced presidential campaign. Then, with a TED talk, Monica Lewinsky signaled her return to the spotlight. Now a show called “Clinton the Musical” has opened Off Broadway. A person could be forgiven for wanting to hide under the bed until the 1990s stopped making a comeback. But cowering would be a mistake. Far better to crawl out from behind that dust ruffle, head over to New World Stages and let “Clinton the Musical” quell your fears. Smartly silly, hilariously impudent and sneakily compassionate, it is nearly guaranteed to leave you humming a bouncy, exuberant tune called “Monica’s Song” — the lyrics are unprintable — and thinking far more fondly of the eight scandal-plagued years this country spent with a president from a place called Hope. In this frothily satirical political history — which has a book by the Australian brothers Paul and Michael Hodge, and music and lyrics by Paul Hodge — No. 42 is actually two presidents: the urbane, silver-haired WJ Clinton (Tom Galantich) and the louche, rutting Billy Clinton (Duke Lafoon).