STAGE REVIEW : Hard ‘Promises’ Gets Softened at Saddleback

“Promises, Promises,” now on stage at Saddleback College, must be the quintessential ‘60s pop theater piece. Adapted from the very successful movie “The Apartment” by no less a theater scribe than Neil Simon, it introduced two now-famous Hal David-Burt Bacharach tunes: the title song, and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” Its story, a morality tale masquerading as a frothy comedy, is a telling mirror for its time, when the antihero reigned and love was still relatively free.

Chuck Baxter is an aspiring young laborer in the vineyards of Big Business. His most marketable asset is his apartment, which he lends out as a trysting spot to a quartet of rakish junior executives in exchange for a boot up the corporate ladder.

Complications arise when Baxter’s big boss, J. D. Sheldrake, demands sole trysting rights in order to continue a troubled affair with a cafeteria hostess named Fran, who happens to be the object of Baxter’s honest but unexpressed affection.

Under the direction of Gregory de Silva, Saddleback’s production flows very smoothly on a handsome and efficient turntable set by Wally Huntoon, lit flavorfully by Kevin Cook. The costumes by Charles Castagno not only recall the period, but they carry the large cast through so many wardrobe changes that they must fill backstage racks galore. The entire effect is sharp-edged without being cartoonish, and the same applies to De Silva’s precise staging and the amusing choreographic touches of Susan Errickson.

The cohesive efforts of De Silva and his designers wisely accentuate the specific era of this play, which has aged without acquiring a patina of nostalgia. The world of “Promises, Promises” is an unsettling, predatory one in which all the females are victims and most of the males are venal louts. Even Doc Simon’s jokes can’t muster sympathy for a character such as Sheldrake, who’s a manipulative SOB in spite of the lament Bacharach wrote for him.

Fortunately, Randall Dodge humanizes the core of the play with his ingenuous performance as Baxter, a steadfast beacon of sincerity in a wasteland of casual duplicity. An appealing Sad Sack with eyebrows that threaten to turn into question marks, Dodge strikes up an earnest, easy confidence with the audience from his first entrance. His singing is confident and manages to sound relaxed, even when negotiating Bacharach’s octave-hopping melodies.

As Fran, Doina Alexandra Roman is attractive but pinched. Ken Weaver’s Sheldrake is a cipher, albeit a manly one. Carlos Romero has some funny moments as Baxter’s neighbor, Dr. Dreyfuss, who turns out to be a mensch and not just a Listening Tom.

Of the large, good-looking and limber supporting cast, Shari Heatherly contributes a nice turn as Miss Olson, the jaded, jilted secretary, and Angela Porcu makes an impression as Marge, a quasi-widow who knows how to wear black.

The crisp musical numbers, accompanied by a small, hard-working orchestra conducted by Lee Kreter, are, like the other elements of the show, rendered with style and verve. It’s too bad the material hasn’t as much heart as the production.

‘Promises, Promises’

A Saddleback College Department of Theatre Arts presentation of the Neil Simon (book), Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) musical. Directed by Gregory de Silva. With Randall Dodge, Ken Weaver, Doina Alexandra Roman, Michael Gene Brown, Heather Eaton, Christine Marie Coleman, Gerald W. Frayer, Jennifer Ahia, Ricc Waddell, Nicole Caldwell, Carlos Romero, Richard Stauffacher, Jennifer Conopast, Parri Cappel, Christopher Sullivan, Shari Heatherly, Amy Hunnicut, Craig Bye, Angela Porcu, Dee Spriet and Jenilynn Pfeifer. Scenic design: Wally Huntoon. Lighting and sound design: Kevin Cook. Costume designer: Charles Castagno. Choreography by Susan Errickson. Orchestra conducted by Lee Kreter. At Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo.

Performances today through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets: $10, general; $9, students and senior citizens. (714) 582-4656.