STAGE REVIEWS : A LOVING TRIBUTE TO BROADWAY

Blame the summer. Starry nights and beach weather seem to provide a logic of their own. And although logic is not the strong suit of “Broadway: Our Way” at Golden West College, it already has the only rhyme and reason it needs: a showcase for Orange County talent performing musical theater favorites. That premise--plus lively staging, plenty of polish and the outdoor Patio Theater on a warm, starry night--add up to reason enough.

Director David F. Anthony has assembled a big, brisk valentine to Broadway, delivered by local college and community theater performers (including several Golden West alumni). The mix may be eclectic, but it is also entertaining and upbeat.

Don’t bother looking for common ground in works that range from the acid of “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” (from “Company”) to the sweetness of “The Heather on the Hill” (from “Brigadoon”). The only link is an affection for musical theater, and there is an abundance of affection in this collage of 33 songs from 26 musicals.

Some of the selections are intriguingly obscure; others are old favorites or, at least, old familiars. Along with the interesting choices are some interesting omissions, including “Oklahoma!,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Sound of Music” and “A Chorus Line.” But what is offered represents a large slice of post-World War II Broadway show tunes.

The solid 16-member cast features several remarkable voices and some comically gifted performers. This revue is at its best in its comic moments, and one of the funniest finds Craig Fleming aping Groucho in “You Remind Me of You” (from “Minnie’s Boys”). Poor bewildered Sharon Shedivy, the object of his attentions, is unsure whether to be appalled or flattered.

Knowing chuckles follow when Marcie Ross and Tom Waite gird for battle as a married couple confronting each other with their petty grievances in “Nobody’s Perfect” (from “I Do! I Do!”). Ross creates a character in an instant, a skill she employs effectively throughout the revue. A simmering, brassy version of “Tips” (from “Pump Boys and Dinettes”) features Shedivy, Laura Pryzgoda, Marsha Clark and Joni Sheppard as hard-boiled waitresses who sling smooth harmony instead of hash. Best of all is “Book Report” (from “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”), a lament of that dreaded homework assignment delivered in earnest despair by Fleming, Shedivy, Bradford Bowen and John Blumberg.

Broadway ballads get their due as well, richly represented by “I Have Dreamed a Dream” (from “Les Miserables”) sung by Pryzgoda; the powerful “Johanna” (from “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”), by Bowen; and a haunting “Maria” (from “West Side Story”), by Calvin Coker. Particularly appealing are the intricate harmonies of “Pretty Lady” (from “Pacific Overtures”) and “Tonight” (from “West Side Story”), performed here by Blumberg, Bowen, Coker, Pryzgoda, Lorraine Hinz and Michael Hayward.

There are a few eccentricities: an updated version of “Those Were the Good Old Days” (from “Damn Yankees”) that slips in references to terrorism and atomic annihilation; the forgettable “Who Are You Now?” (from “Funny Girl”); and a love song built around a pineapple, “It Couldn’t Please Me More” (from “Cabaret”), sung with big emotion by Yetta Benson and Waite. The ambitious “A Weekend in the Country” (from “A Little Night Music”) tries hard, but even accompanied by an elaborate introduction, it doesn’t work out of context.

Fleming, a Golden West alumnus, serves as master of ceremonies, offering the few narrative transitions (although a bit more exposition would be welcome). His sure presence is felt throughout the evening as he moves from a quietly affecting rendition of “Fathers and Sons” (from “Working”) to comic romps in “You’ve Got to Have Heart,” “Book Report” and “You Remind Me of You.”

Anthony and choreographer Janet Miller keep the show moving at a steady clip, and the versatile set and elegant costumes contribute to the streamlined look. The outdoor setting poses a tough test for the lighting design and sound system, and both rate high marks.