Perry’s ‘Browns’ is more loud than funny

“Meet the Browns,” the latest in Tyler Perry’s assembly line of “urban musicals,” is raising the roof at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Earlier Perry shows have played there, but they showed up before Perry had appeared on the movie industry radar screen with “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” his $5.4-million film that grossed $21.8 million on its opening weekend in February.

Yet the composition of Perry’s audience does not appear to have changed. The vast majority still is African American and more female than male.

The show isn’t very different from previous Perry shows, either. It’s a raucous blend of mostly witless comedy -- described as “sitcom” in the program notes -- and gospel music, with every word amplified over a screeching sound system.

The paltry plot gathers the Brown family for the funeral of their 107-year-old patriarch. Two of the old man’s grandchildren go to war with their romantic partners. Serious subjects come up -- a great-grandson was killed in gang warfare -- but they aren’t treated seriously.

Perry’s abilities as a sitcom writer don’t measure up to what can be seen free on TV, and the set looks flat and puny on the vast Kodak stage. So it must be the gospel music that keeps the crowds coming.

Most of the cast members’ credits are in music, and a few moments of women’s a cappella harmonizing are the highlights of the show.

Perry doesn’t appear in “Meet the Browns,” although we hear references to his in-drag character of Madea from earlier shows. Madea is a neighbor of the Browns -- and, it turns out, a mother of one of them, Cora (Tamela Mann).

Perry’s function as the clown prince is assumed by David A. Mann in the role of Cora’s father, one of the three Brown siblings. Half of his comedy comes from his blindingly loud and clashing clothes, while the other half apparently comes from his mugging -- although it’s hard to see any facial features on anyone from seats in the back half of the hall or the balconies. Brown’s sister Vera (Nicci Gilbert), a feisty alcoholic, also is there to help compensate for the absence of Madea’s over-the-top comic interludes.

During intermission and the curtain call, Perry wastes no opportunity to plug his movie and other merchandise related to his shows or his cast. But the intermission also provides momentary respite from the excruciatingly loud show.

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‘Meet the Browns’

Where: Kodak Theatre,

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

When: 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. today,

3 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Ends: Sunday

Price: $39.50 to $52.50

Contact: (323) 308-6363

Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes