Girl Talk the Musical

Girl Talk the Musical, now at the Midtown Theatre, is a fun little show, perfect for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, or just an enjoyable evening out with the ladies. But take note gentlemen: if you come, you might find yourself laughing at your own expense.

This endearing show, which comes from the author and producer of the long-running regional hit Girls Night: The Musical, focuses on the end of the hit radio show Girl Talk after a 10-year run. Of course, the four women behind the program are going out in style. These ladies all love to dish about sex, food, alcohol, babies, and yes, men. When it’s time for them to play music on their show, these talented ladies bust out to hits by such diverse artists as The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Lopez, Carrie Underwood, Aretha Franklin, TLC, and Ricky Martin.

Tina Jensen plays Barbara in an incredibly realistic fashion. A curvy, eccentric, divorced, loud-mouthed and bitter mother, Barbara is the peanut gallery to her counterparts. Sonya Carter, who is also the show’s talented director and co-author (with Louise Roche and Tim Flaherty), plays the somewhat boring Janice, the perfect foil for Barbara’s outlandishness.

Far livelier is the kooky, sexually rambunctious Dr. Laura (played by Priscilla Fernandez). At first it’s difficult to understand Fernandez’s thick Latin accent, but just as her giant afro of curls starts to grow on you, so too does her big facial expressions and delightful ease with physical comedy. Fernandez also gets extra points for sporting unbelievably high red heels throughout the entire show (even the dance numbers staged by Amy Jones).

With Lauren Kairalla’s Crystal in tow (Valerie Smaldone plays Crystal at select weekend performances), the girls never once lose eye contact with their audience of “listeners,” allowing them to be included in the party on stage at all times. Indeed, the audience even becomes part of the excitement when they’re invited on stage in a few opportune segments. One of the show’s best moments is having the women learn how to do the “Mouth Macarena,” a dance of sorts that one would have to see to believe.

In the end, all of Girl Talk‘s women are people you would really want to know, and you’ll come away from the show feeling as though you have made four new friends.