SAN DIEGO COUNTY : REVUE REVIEW : ‘Oba Oba’ Has Right Spice for S.D. Crowd

“Oba Oba,” the steamy Brazilian import that blends fantasy, folk art and flashy Vegas glitz, spread its infectious spirit to sold-out houses in San Diego last Christmas. This week, the vivacious musical extravaganza is back at the Civic Theatre for the final leg of its nationwide tour.

Italian impresario Franco Fontana has made some cast changes since “Oba Oba” played San Diego last winter. But he didn’t tamper with the winning formula that has made this raucous revue a solid crowd-pleaser on the international touring circuit for five years. And, judging by the standing ovation after Wednesday’s opener, this San Diego stint should be just as popular.

The show still shimmies and shakes shamelessly to those relentless Latin rhythms. It still draws on Brazil’s Portuguese, black, and Indian cultural heritage--albeit for little more than an excuse to stage lavishly costumed, pseudo-historical production numbers. And it still bears an R rating--for baring almost all but the glittery G-strings.

Although the script for this incarnation of “Oba Oba” is virtually unchanged from its predecessor, the cast is bigger and more brazen. There are about 60 performers (10 more than the last ensemble to perform in San Diego). And the dancers in this carnival-style pageant are more accomplished and even more acrobatic--if that’s possible--than before.

At the heart of “Oba Oba’s” success is the steady stream of show-biz style production numbers that explode into one another like lightning bolts (particularly the nimble display of tumbling and martial arts that literally stop the show in the second act), a clever Carmen Miranda showpiece that spoofs the ersatz exotica of old movie musicals, and a raw sexuality that pervades everything, yet never seems self-conscious. These hallmarks, and a joyous sense of humor, remain nicely intact in this production.

The show works best when the sounds of the samba, bossa nova, and other Brazilian beats reverberate through the theater. History, myth and other attempts at storytelling are not this production’s strong suit.

Fortunately, “Oba Oba” (translated “Oh Boy, Oh Boy”) gets most of the schmaltz out of the way by the middle of the first act and begins serious dancing and music making soon afterward. By the time act II moves into high gear, most of the cast seems intoxicated by the spicy music--and so is the audience.

Aderson Cirne makes splendid sounds from the cavaquinho (a small guitar with four chords), and does some handy gymnastics while he’s at it. Accordionist Jaime Santos is another musician extraordinaire.

There are too many dynamic dancers (read acrobats/contortionists) to name them all. But a young man known only as Formiguinha--who can’t be more than 12 or 13--was a real standout, even among the iron men that tumbled and jousted in time with the music in the “Capoeira of Angola” segment.

The dancing in this number--a series of challenges between partners--provided a breathtaking display of strength and physical control. And both sexes took turns with this typically male art form.

The Carmen Miranda number, which closes the first act, seemed quite tame by comparison. However, Vivian Machado Soares has the wit and flashing eyes for Carmen Miranda, even if she was a bit short on hootchy-kootchy in her portrayal of the Brazilian bombshell.

Patricia Dantas did pointe work on fast-forward in the one balletic piece of the evening. And Pretinha, with her shaved head and a defiant gaze on her face, made a striking slave girl in the sexy opener.

“Oba Oba” milks the audience for all its worth, but first-nighters couldn’t get enough of it. They sang along with the singers, clapped along on cue, and tried gamely to keep up with the undulating hips of the dancers as they snaked their way through the aisles in the giant conga line finale. It looked as if there would be nobody left in the seats, by the time the procession moved back on stage to reprise the “Oba Oba” number.

Nobody can accuse “Oba Oba” of reaching for aesthetic heights. Merry escapism is the name of the game here. But even with its naughty excesses and warmed-over imagery, “Oba Oba” packs a lot of fun. And the ebullient cast works overtime to sell the show.

Unfortunately, sound problems caused almost a half-hour delay in the curtain time and then continued to plague the performance off and on through most of the evening. At its worst, the sound level was ear-splitting, but the opening-night glitches should be under control by now.

“Oba Oba” will continue at the Civic Theatre through Sunday night. Curtain times tonight and Saturday are at 7 and 10 o’clock. Sunday’s shows are slated for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Then it’s back to Brazil for the ensemble, where Fontana will spiff up “Oba Oba” for another U.S. tour in the fall.