STAGE REVIEWS : A ROUSING TRIBUTE TO PORTER

Cole Porter undoubtedly would have felt right at home. The night was temperate, the wine decanted, the stars winked slyly overhead, and out on the lawn of the Muckenthaler estate, a group gathered to sing a few of his songs. It was de-lovely indeed.

The occasion was the opening of “Cole,” which ushers in the summer season at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton. Porter always liked a party, and that is just the spirit that director Mary Bettini and her cast capture in this irresistible musical revue.

The only thing missing was a consistent sound system; the show Sunday was plagued with problems from body microphones. But the six-member cast made sure not a syllable was lost, despite the fickle microphones and occasional competition from passing traffic.

Every syllable counts with Porter. His melodies are wonderful, but his words are even better. The composer-lyricist had a longstanding love affair with outrageous rhyme, accented by his barbed-wire wit. He used both in a treasury of Broadway musicals written from 1928 to 1954, including “Anything Goes,” “Kiss Me, Kate” and “Silk Stockings.”

The revue only skims the surface of Porter’s life, slipping in pieces of biography between numbers. The biographical tidbits are just that; Act I concludes with a radio news bulletin of his serious riding accident in 1937, but the chronology is never resumed after intermission to illuminate the remaining 27 years of his life.

Instead, “Cole” concentrates on the attitudes he encapsulated in his music: the restless Jazz Age of the ‘20s, the sophistication of Manhattan in the ‘30s, the Hollywood tinsel of the ‘40s and, always, the foibles of romance.

The articulate vocal work of the cast and the solid work of the five-man combo keep the emphasis where it belongs, on the music. Amy Sheridan, Sylvia Tomaselli, Pippa Winslow, Richard Cassese, Curt Denham and Roger Keller maintain a dizzying pace as they sail through two hours of Porter tunes.

The ensemble work sizzles, highlighted by a dramatic “I Happen to Like New York.” Several solo turns stand out, among them “Take Me back to Manhattan” by Tomaselli; the bitter “Love for Sale” by Winslow; “Ridin’ High” by Sheridan, complemented by a neat saxophone counterpoint, and the jaded, salty “I’m a Gigolo” by Keller.

Porter’s satiric edge is nicely honed here. Tomaselli talks her way through a too, too divine jab at high society in the tart “Thank You So Much Missus Lowsborough--Goodby.” “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” is genially spoofed by Cassese, Denham and Keller, and the silver screen cowboy gets his due in “Don’t Fence Me In,” sung by Cassese and Sheridan.

Ironically, despite the lovely harmonies throughout, the most memorable number isn’t sung at all but, rather, growled. Winslow, dolled up like Dietrich, vamps through “The Laziest Gal in Town,” wringing all the wry humor out of Porter’s ode to ennui.

Visually, “Cole” provides an eyeful. The action is kept fluid, no small task when so many entrances, exits and costume changes are involved. Bettini’s choreography is uncluttered and effective; even better, she knows when to stand back and let the song speak for itself.

The production is decidedly dressed for a party, as well. The costumes are beaded and bedazzling, and they show off to full effect against the elegantly understated set.

Even the cabaret atmosphere of the Muckenthaler’s outdoor amphitheater suits the mood. The Theatre-on-the-Green series will offer three shows this summer: “Cole,” running through June 28; the Bernard Slade comedy “Same Time, Next Year,” July 9-26, and “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie, Aug. 6-23, which will take the audience along as the action unfolds inside the stately old Muckenthaler mansion. Performances are preceded by a buffet dinner.