MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL

ey're having a heat wave over at the Coronet Theatre. Yes, indeedy, the temperature's rising, but it isn't surprising, as the theatre is overflowing with pre- and post-menopausal women laughing wildly about memory loss, night sweats, weight gain, and, of course, the most classic symptom of The Change, hot flashes. The Off-Broadway smash hit Menopause the Musical is rather akin to a musical slumber party for the over-40 set. Four archetypal ladies—Power Woman (Michelle Mais), Soap Star (Rendé Rae Norman), Earth Mother (Myra McWethy), and Iowa Housewife (Lisa Robinson)—who also, collectively, represent different sides a woman's personality, meet and bond over a black bra at a lingerie sale at Bloomie's. They end up spending the next 90 minutes talking and laughing about boys, sex, and hormonal changes while playing dress-up, doing makeovers, and occasionally pigging out on sweets. It is typical girl goofiness taken up a notch or two, backed by a snazzy three-piece offstage band (conducted by John Randall) that sounds twice its size. The various department store floors are efficiently depicted by such set pieces as a vanity table, chairs, and clothing racks rolled in front of the stylish four-door deco set, courtesy of Bud Clark Theme Designs. Ann Closs-Farley hits all the right notes with her wide-ranging array of costumes, from denim to Dior, and with silks and sequins and see-throughs thrown in for good measure. Director/choreographer Patty Bender keeps the pace swift and the mood light as the women wind their way through Sportswear, Eveningwear, Accessories, and Cosmetics, parodying hit songs, mostly from the '60s and '70s, to humorously explain, and complain about, what's happening to their bodies. It's certainly not "the silent passage" when the incomparable Mais, as Power Woman, brings the audience to roaring cheers of approval in her get-down, kick-ass rock-star moment in the spotlight—or when Robinson's naïve Iowa Housewife, now dressed in a black silk nightie, learns from her new gal-pals about the pleasures of battery-powered stimulation as she croons "Only You," to a pink handheld microphone—which is suddenly looking a bit more phallic than usual. Jeanie Linders whipped-cream book and clever parodies are not meant to be anything more than lighthearted fun and a chance for women to affirm that they are not crazy in what they're feeling. When Mais and Robinson sing of memory loss in the parody of "Great Pretender," we women relate—and the men start to get it, too. When McWethy's Earth Mother dons a workout suit and huffs and puffs her way through "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin,'" we women laugh and understand. We sympathize with all of it because we've either been there or are going through it—and it helps to not feel quite so alone in the process. "Menopause the Musical," presented by TOC Entertainment and Entertainment Events Inc. at the Coronet Theatre, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood. Tue.-Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 5 & 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Nov. 19-Indefinitely. $42.50. (310) 657-737