"May God Strike Me Dead... If I'm Telling A Lie!", a comedy playing on the Geva NextStage as a part of the Rochester TheatreFest, isn't all laughs.

The play -- well, musical, kind-of -- is written and performed by BellAdele producer and School of the Arts Arts Director Adele Fico, and it makes a social statement about the modern woman, and the generation gap between the wife/mother of today and her predecessors.

This undoubtedly funny, but choppy, performance is one that appeals to some demographics�more than others -- for example, Italians, Catholics, and middle-aged women.

Fico portrays several vastly different characters throughout the show, and there is something to be said for her transitions. It's not every day you see Vita, the multi-tasking business exec who makes time for her aging mother and soon-to-be-married daughter; Nona, the cookie-cutter Italian matriarch; and even Leon, the sexually charged New Orleans taxi-cab driver, living in the body -- and voice -- of the same woman.

Fico's strengths as a performer�reside in her energy and presence on stage, specifically depicted through her physical choices. Each character walked differently and had a unique accent and dialect. Each persona was quirky in her (or in Leon's case, his) own way.

The show opens with a video sequence, the first of many throughout. Although they did not all seem to fit -- a nun advertising rosary kits, for example -- the vignettes�were professionally made. The content of the show had elements reminiscent of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (but this time riffing on Italians), and "Nunsense" (in the aforementioned commercial), but, thankfully, it left out any allusion to the "Blair Witch Project" by displaying tastefully produced videos. These allowed time for set changes and costume changes.

Fico's best performance was Nona, and she pulled laugh after laugh from the audience, who probably saw their own mothers in this judgmental, traditional Catholic who was "fiber-glass-ted" (flabbergasted) at her granddaughter's "shacking up."

The only character whose appearance seemed out of place was Inez Calabash, the saucy talk-show host dressed head to toe in sparkles and leopard print. She engaged the audience as the lights came up, and�incited the women in the audience to embrace their inner goddesses --�and their men to bow down and give worship.

The musical aspect, contributed by Corrine Aquilina, was shaky at best. Fico's performance of the seemingly unrelated and clich� songs was powerful in volume, but not necessarily in pitch. The spoken songs -- most of them -- were enjoyable, but "May God Strike Me Dead" is surely not a musical made for singers or vocal-music-oriented audience members.

Sadly, there is one character transformation that might break the believability of the performance for some viewers. When moving from Regina, the granddaughter, to her Nona, Fico removes the Regina wig on stage, closes her eyes, applies her Nona wig, and resumes as if the audience did not just witness the very public identity crisis. It was outrageous and inconsistent, as it is the only transition made on stage, in plain view of the audience.

Overall, the show was entertaining, but confusing as to the connecting factor. Audiences might wonder: what brings it all together? The theme of changing expectations and notions of propriety regarding�young women of�the day is clear, but lacking in substance.

However, if the hysterical Italian lady and the talk-show host speaking about teams of men worshipping her in bed is enough to satisfy your theater tastes, give this energetic performance a try.

"May God Strike Me Dead..." continues through June 8 at Geva's Nextstage, 75 Woodbury Blvd. Tickets cost $20. For more information call 232-4382.