Menopause the Musical at The Civic

The cast's enthusiasm carries the musical

It had to happen - half a century after the post-war fertility explosion, having done with idealism, hedonism, materialism and spirituality, the baby boomers are facing the final, unavoidable confrontation with their own biology.

In Menopause the Musical they take up the challenge with a style that exhibits all the defining characteristics of their generation.

On the positive side is the optimism, the bad behaviour, the impulse to treat everything as cause for celebration, and an unshakeable belief in the empowerment that comes from shared experience.

On the other hand we see the boomers' narcissism, and the self-obsession that prevents them from noticing anything that lies beyond their immediate personal experience.

The show was written by Jeanie Linders, a child of the 60s who recalls rushing onstage to join in the finale of the original 1967 production of Hair.

Her method consists of a clever re-working of the lyrics of 60s pop and soul classics. It is a beguiling device, especially when the changes blend with the spirit of the original. My Guy is deftly switched to My Thighs, and Lesley Gore's memorable teen anthem reappears as It's My Body and I'll Cry if I Want To.

The effect is instantly appealing but it is a rather flimsy framework on which to hang a full-length musical.

Menopause the Musical feels like a missed opportunity. The show captures the baby boomers at their most vulnerable but fails to explore the dramatic possibilities of this moment.

If its creators had found a story on which to hang the song-and-dance routines, an amusing evening might have become a genuinely moving event.

But there is no doubting it is entertaining. Highly polished production values are complemented by inventive choreography and the nostalgia of a classic hits soundtrack.

There was more information about bodily fluids than I care for, but the enthusiastic performances elicited shrieks of recognition from the opening-night audience.

Local-girl-made-good, Angela Ayers, brings the house down with her portrayal of a Waikato housewife belatedly embracing the pleasure of sexual liberation.

Jennifer Vuletic captures the desperation of a fading soap star, and Carolyn Waddell shows great comic timing as the hapless earth mother.

Caroline Gillmer has the vocal prowess to handle the soul classics and delivers a hilarious parody of Tina Turner.

Menopause the Musical doesn't address the big questions and is unlikely to be the swansong of the baby boomers, but it is an uplifting show that provides a rare opportunity to feel good about menopause.