Menopause Musical Falls to Cliches

Theatre InSite’s production of “Is It Just Me, or Is It Hot in Here?,” at CBS Studio Center, is an ambitious original musical about menopause. Sadly, playwright and principal lyricist Barbara Schill and composer-accompanist Dave Mackay too frequently tether the effervescent to the banal in this cliche-ridden misfire.

The proceedings are set in a group therapy session at the “Over-the-Hillcrest Community Center” led by psychology master’s candidate Lisa (Kay Cole). Audience “volunteers” include worried wife Susan (Suzanne Battaglia), wisecracking single mom Joan (Leslie Easterbrook), tough-minded businesswoman Katherine (Cleo King), lifelong boy toy Bambi (Shandra “Shandi” Sinnamon), martyred mom Glenda (Cheryl Tyre-Smith) and the perpetually indecisive Amy (Lisa Passero).

Abetted by Michael Arabian’s sprightly direction and Cole’s lively choreography, these seasoned performers strut their considerable stuff, making the most of their challenging but ultimately limited material.

The show can be screechingly funny, particularly the ebullient song parodies. But the original songs are hit or miss, and the flimsy book emphasizes only the most extreme symptoms of menopause--for some, a relatively painless passage. And considering the steamy weather of late, the annoyingly frequent hot-flash jokes make us hot under the collar in more ways than one.

* “Is It Just Me, or Is It Hot in Here?,” CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Ave., Studio City. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends July 6. $25. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 2 hours.