THEATER REVIEW : A Lively and Loving ‘Hot l Baltimore’ Warms the Heart : The residents of a soon-to-be-demolished hotel make a party of it in the caring hands of the Garden Grove Community Theatre.

“The Hot l Baltimore” is one of the unsung classics of the American theater. Penned more than 20 years ago by Lanford Wilson, it’s an all-American comic version of “The Lower Depths,” a lively and loving examination of the human spirit in hard times, currently onstage in a lively and loving production at the Garden Grove Community Theatre.

Set in the lobby of the soon-to-be-demolished Hotel Baltimore, the play opens a Pandora’s box of urban decay as personified by the residents of this once-exclusive establishment.

A few prostitutes, a couple of retirees, a brother and sister on the road to nowhere, and an assortment of desk clerks and visitors make up the party. And a party it often is, under Michael Ross’ caring direction.

Ross orchestrates Wilson’s ongoing train-wreck of humanity with an ear that hears music in cacophony and an eye that sees romance in a cheap bottle of champagne. The lobby may be chipped veneer and tattered upholstery, but the music on the radio is lushly rhapsodic.

The performances are uniformly enjoyable, but Sheri DeMieri leads the pack with a rip-roaring rendition of wise-cracking April, a whore with a heart of gold and a steel-trap mouth to guard it.

Jacqueline Burnett brings a glowing earnestness to the challenging role of the Girl. Rae Ruff and Philip Weitzman convey a history of disappointment in their well-matched performances as tough-girl Jackie and her sad-mouthed brother, Jamie.

The time frame of the production is a little confusing. Billed as taking place on “a recent Memorial Day,” it portrays a social sediment that, in the ‘90s, is well above the abject bottom of beggarly homelessness.

There’s no hint of anything more contemporary than soybeans. But perhaps as Ross suggests in his program note, the underlying optimism of the play may be coming back into style.

In any event, as evidenced in this admirable production, the heart and soul of “The Hot l Baltimore” are as alive as ever.

‘The Hot l Baltimore’

A Garden Grove Community Theatre presentation of Lanford Wilson’s play. Directed by Michael Ross. Produced by Peter Dolan. With Kelly Landolt, Jacqueline Burnett, Carol Louise, Cary McLean, Sheri DeMieri, Bob Goodwin, Rae Ruff, Philip Weitzman, Roger Richmond, Andrea La Vela, Christopher Knutson, Mark Bommarito, Melody Cappos and Jason W. Green. Performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through March 13 at 12001 St. Mark St., Garden Grove. $7 to $8. (714) 897-5122. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.