STAGE REVIEW : Tons of Tunes From Broadway’s Heyday

The Broadway musical usually isn’t regarded as a forum for social commentary. When the form is dominated by Andrew Lloyd Webber, this isn’t surprising.

But even Lloyd Webber had his “Evita”--which is one of the few musicals with any kind of social commentary that’s not represented in “Broadway Sings Out!,” a “concert anthology” of 61 enterprising songs from musicals between 1906 and 1987, at the West End Playhouse in Van Nuys.

There is enough satire in “Broadway Sings Out!” to suggest the folly of the notion that satire is what closes on Saturday night. In fact, Ray Malvani’s revue now plays only on Saturday nights--but to packed houses.

The schedule was recently cut back as a cost-saving move. The show now operates with an Actors’ Equity contract, having passed the maximum number of performances allowed under Equity’s lower-paying 99-Seat Theater Plan. It’s the first show in the San Fernando Valley to jump from the 99-Seat Plan to fully professional status.

It’s also a treasure trove for musical fans. The songs include many an obscure ditty that you’re not likely to hear elsewhere. Even the standards are sung with a difference--for example, pieces of “If I Were a Rich Man” are sung in a handful of languages. The program is extensively annotated.

True, some of the songs are shortened within an inch of their life. The social commentary in some of them is marginal. The spoken dialogue that connects the songs isn’t always a model of grace, but neither does it preach or linger too long.

The singers, directed by Pamela Hall, are swell. They also represent a wider variety of looks and ages than can be found in many revues. Their names: Terri L. Cotter, Karen Haskett, Charles Herrera, Steve Kirwan, William Knight, Ann Peck and Jon Rider.

Frank Basile provides expert accompaniment on a single upright piano, blissfully unamplified.

“Broadway Sings Out!,” West End Playhouse, 7446 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, Saturdays, 8 p.m. Runs indefinitely. $17.50. (818) 904-0444. Running time: 2 hours.