THEATER REVIEW : A Ghost Returns to Make Peace With His ‘Daughters’

A sentimental comedy about a wayward father who returns from the grave to make peace with his children, “Vic Lanudi’s Daughters,” at Theatre/Theater, hangs some well-played emotional exchanges on a flimsy plot skeleton.

As the eavesdropping ghost who materializes for the reading of his will, John Phillip Law conjures up enough breezy charm to almost make us forget that Vic was a reprehensible parent who sired each of his four daughters with a different mother and consistently ducked out on his family responsibilities.

But his daughters recall his shortcomings all too well, especially the flamboyant Trudy (Priscilla Barnes), a gorgeous, acid-tongued socialite with no regrets about her father’s suicide, and Laura (Gina Minervini), a spirited but struggling singer with a more balanced perspective. Jilanne St. Clair and Martha Thompson give nicely shaded portrayals as the younger daughters who eerily contribute so little to the facile story line.

The performances consistently exceed the quality of a script haunted by unnecessary padding; playwright Marc Umile too often confuses biographical detail with character definition. As we wonder what changes his new-found perspective might have wrought in Vic, the specter of a missing second act looms ominously over Mary Lou Belli’s animated staging.

* “Vic Lanudi’s Daughters,” Theatre/Theater, 1713 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 and 10 p.m.; Sundays, 5 and 7 p.m. Ends Aug. 14. $10. (213) 850-6941. Running time: 1 hour, 5 minutes.