Menopause the Musical

Some stage musicals succeed in spite of their subject matter. Take “Next to Normal” (bipolar disorder) or “Sweeney Todd” (a diabolical, sociopathic barber).

And then there is “Menopause the Musical.” Since its debut 10 years ago in Orlando, Fla., the unlikely hit has been seen by millions of people worldwide.

It’s hard to believe that a rite of passage once shrouded in nebulous euphemism (“the change”) is fodder for a theatrical yuk-fest. Especially in a town that likes its flushes royal and its women hot —Paris Hilton hot, not hormonally hot.

But there you have it. “Menopause” has been giving Las Vegas audiences a rollicking good time since 2006.

The show has four middle-aged women singing parodies of pop hits in commiseration over the manifold miseries wrought by menopause. “Chain of Fools” becomes “Change of Life,” “Stayin’ Alive” becomes “Stayin’ Awake” and “Night Fever” becomes “Night Sweating.”

By the end, the foursome accepts that you can’t turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again. For the finale, the ladies invite audience members on stage for a celebratory kick line. The take home is that a gal can kick up her heels at any stage of life, even if she exposes a dimpled thigh in the process.

—Anne Burke, Custom Publishing Writer

“MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL”
Luxor Las Vegas
3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South
702.262.4400
$54.95 and $71.50
www.luxor.com

Nightly at 5:30 and
8 or 8:30 p.m.
Visit www.luxor.com for
specific show times.