These ‘Girls & Guitars’ know how to rock, at least in spirit

The opening of the Lifetime special “Women Rock! Girls & Guitars” may look a bit like an “American Idol” bit, with six women somewhat awkwardly teaming on the disco-ish anthem “I’m Every Woman.” But there’s one thing that makes it clear this is no “Idol” moment: These women all sing on key.

They ought to, given that they are Chaka Khan, Gloria Estefan, Chrissie Hynde, Michelle Branch, Lee Ann Womack and, yes, even Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Perhaps, though, the program (airing at 10 tonight) -- Lifetime’s third annual concert special supporting its Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign -- was misnamed. Only Hynde, Branch and Estefan wield guitars, and that only part time, in this 90-minute show, which was taped last month at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

And anything even remotely resembling rock is in short supply.

The only truly rocking performances come from country singer Womack on the frisky twanger “I Need You” and Khan soaring on Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” -- most appropriately, as it was written for Linda McCartney, who died of breast cancer in 1998.

That said, the show scores not merely by spotlighting each singer but by building an ad hoc community/support system of artists in various combinations throughout the show. Duet pairings include Estefan and Khan, Hynde and Womack, and Hynde and Branch.

Hewitt hosts as well as performs -- she’s got a decent voice but always looks like an actress playing a singer -- and Lea Thompson, Fran Drescher, Dana Delaney and others drop in with pitches for breast cancer awareness. They all rock metaphorically. If only they rocked a little more musically.