Girl Talk: The Musical

If ever an audience came in wanting to like a show, it was the mostly female crowd at "Girl Talk: The Musical." That included me. I loved "Girls Night: The Musical," the earlier project created by some of the same people. Sure, it was hokey and sentimental, but it was also rousing and funny, a combination of group karaoke and a Lifetime movie. Louise Roche's script was full of real girls-only jokes. But where "Girls Night: The Musical" felt like a be-in, "Girl Talk: The Musical" is degrading. What a letdown.

This script was written by Roche, Tim Flaherty, and Sonya Carter (Carter also directs and plays Janice), with additional contributions by Betsy Kelso, who also assisted with "Girls Night." The showl takes an audience wearing pink feather boas and tiaras, who stand up to dance to "Let's Get Loud," and bores them so much there was a constant buzz of conversation between the songs. Some drunken women clearly had a ball anyway; they were more fun to watch than a musical full of old jokes about "lady bits," skin-tightening creams, and menopause. Only women who've never seen "Sex and the City" could possibly be amused by a joke about "the rabbit" (vibrator), but who did the creators think would come to this show?

The plot has potential: A radio talk show broadcasts its last show in front of a studio audience. The three hosts talk off the air, take calls, and play music. With more--and more well-known--songs, "Girl Talk" might have worked, but the awful dialogue just goes on and on. The characters are caricatures. Most troubling is Laura, played by Priscilla Fernandez as a cross between Carmen Miranda and Cher. Fernandez exaggerates a Spanish accent as a "hot Latin lover" and crosses her eyes as she demonstrates wearing shoes as earrings. Carter mugs terribly as prissy Janice. Only Tina Jensen's menopausal Barbara has a likable naturalness. All three women can sing, but it's not enough to rescue this embarrassing mess.

Presented by Entertainment Events at the Midtown Theater, 163 W. 46th St., NYC. Opened Jan. 9 for an open run. Schedule varies. (877) 386-6968 or www.entertainmentevents.com.