Having never subjected myself to watching an episode of any of the hundred-or-so different entries in the “Real Housewives” franchise, I can’t speak as to the source material from which Barry Martin and Rob Broadhurst have derived their musical parody of the genre. I know enough based on the occasional clips that flow through my social media feeds and other parodies to know that the trials and tribulations of the entitled mean absolutley nothing to me.

So why did I end up in the audience for a late-in-the-run performance of The Real Housewives of Napa Valley? Simply put, because of the talent involved. A bunch of really talented performers have been gathered to poke fun not only at the genre (that’s like shooting fish in a barrel), but also at the pretentiousness frequently exhibited by a segment of our community.

The 17th-most-popular entry of the franchise is on its last legs (with high-end sponsors abandoning the show only to be replaced by ads for anti-diarrheals), and the five “stars” and their harried producers are all turning into desperate housewives. There’s the lush, Monica (Taylor Bartolucci), the ditz, Shawndra (Kirstin Pieschke), the uptight, business-minded Alicia (Sarah Lundstrom), the always-in-control Joni (Andrea Davis), and the perpetually-stoned/”Cali sober” Michaela (Daniela Innocenti-Beem). They and producers Mark (Mark Bradbury) and Jules (Julianne Bradbury) need to come up with something big for the last two episodes of the season or it’s back to real reality for them all.

Possible solutions to their problem include jumping on a TikTok fad or exploiting the possible return of a heretofore unknown (?) daughter.

Fear not, after a significant amount of drinking, fighting (with each other and their husbands), singing, and dancing, all will be happily resolved.

Martin and Broadhurst have written an amusing little show with funny bits and clever songs that the cast delivers with gusto. The songs range from comedic ballads like “Pretty People with No Talent” and “You’re Doing Rich Wrong” to the 11 o’clock number “I am More”. The audience ate up the commercial parodies and the pot shots at various local communities, from Calistoga to Suisun.

Co-creator/director Martin has a very well-balanced cast at work here. Each of the five “housewives” gets their moment, both musically and comedically, and all of the proven comedic talents appear to be having genuine fun with their roles. The Bradburys are amusing as the producers as well as a variety of men in the women’s lives, including one who’s a knock off of a fiery local celebrity chef.

The show sags a bit in its second act (when the obligatory schmaltz enters the scene), but on the whole it’s a brisk two hours (with intermission) of mostly-mindless entertainment. The level of your enjoyment may be in direct proportion to the amount of wine you ingest beforehand.

‘The Real Housewives of Napa Valley’ runs through June 15 at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center. 1758 Industrial Way, Napa. Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $24–$47. 707.266.6305. luckypennynapa.com

Photos by Kurt Gonsalves