‘Gays of Our Lives’ Lacks Comedic Edge

For all its cruel and often dismal attempts at comedy, there’s a wistful sentimentality underlying Claudia Allen’s soap opera parody “Gays of Our Lives,” now extending its lease on life at the Hudson Theatre. Call it a hidden, unattainable longing for a world in which same-sex relationships are the norm rather than a reviled minority.

Allen pursues that dream with a vengeance, finding ways to engage each of her characters in a same-sex coupling in this episodic story of a middle-aged word processor (Judy Carter) who joins an oil tanker crew while her family back home becomes enmeshed in promiscuity, intrigue and murder.

But something got lost between high concept and lowbrow implementation. Call it humor. Director Gary Blumsack is unable to wrest comic gems from the sketchy dialogue, and the performers engage in far too much mugging to let the plot’s campy inanity shine through. Susan Chuang is a hilarious exception, finding a real character in her wily Hong Kong madam, precisely because she plays it with commitment. For the most part, though, this witless, leering mess lacks cleverness, charm and coherent comic vision.

* “Gays of Our Lives,” Hudson Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Sept. 1. $20. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.