O.C. THEATER / JAN HERMAN : More Than a Little ‘Night Music’

More than two decades after its Broadway debut, “A Little Night Music” still ranks among the most sophisticated of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals, which, considering the wit and refinement of his large body of work, is no mean feat.

Elegant, wistful, bawdy and sublime, this 1973 show is extraordinarily passionate about the variable aspects of love. Its magical score, written almost exclusively in variations of waltz time, gave us many more songs to treasure than its most famous, “Send in the Clowns.”

There’s “A Weekend in the Country,” the caviar of showstoppers; “You Must Meet My Wife,” a comic delicacy about domestic bliss; “The Miller’s Son,” an ode to earthy sex, and “Every Day a Little Death,” about the humiliations of infidelity.

At Cal State Fullerton’s Little Theatre, the atmospheric production directed by Dean Hess and Lara Teeter captures the fin-de-siecle aura of Sondheim’s evocative masterwork.

In tone and look, it has sweep, grandeur and charm. The setting and the costuming are both gorgeous and the characters very well-cast, despite the predictable unevenness of a collegiate company.

“A Little Night Music,” which Sondheim and co-creator Hugh Wheeler based on the Ingmar Bergman film “Smiles of a Summer Night,” tells the story of people involved in love triangles:

* Fredrik Egerman (Eric Bishop), a middle-aged lawyer married to 18-year-old Ann (Kari Hayter), who is still a virgin 11 months after their wedding night;

* The glamorous actress Desiree Armfeldt (Eve Himmelheber), who’s involved in a fling with the egotistical womanizer Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Brad Hoffner), but who still has feelings toward her old flame, Fredrik;

* Fredrik’s son Henrik (Matthew R. Fuqua), an earnest divinity student, who is secretly in love with his new stepmother;

* The Count’s wife, Charlotte (Dana Meller), who decides to seduce Fredrik in order to make her husband jealous and renew his interest in her.

Watching over all of these involvements with amused disdain from her perch of high social standing, great wealth and long experience in amorous affairs is Desiree’s dowager mother, Madame Armfeldt (Karen Wight), who now lives on her country estate caring for Desiree’s out-of-wedlock teen-age daughter Fredrika (Sara Dean Hess).

Because Desiree is at the apex of the triangles, the role must be filled by someone with enough grace and allure to make us believe in her universal appeal. But while she must be a worldly femme fatale, she cannot be hardened. She has to have warmth and vulnerability. Desiree is, after all, a sympathetic figure well past her youth, who regards her seductive glamour with a sense of humor.

Himmelheber conveys all these qualities. No less important, she sings with maturity, imbuing the rueful, haunting, melancholic “Send in the Clowns” with a whole range of emotion.

Hoffner also stands out as the Count. In addition to a strong vocal performance--he has the best voice of the men--he brings off the role of the self-absorbed military cad with comic authority.

As Fredrik, Bishop manages to evoke a character in a midlife crisis without too much trouble. He doesn’t have much of a singing voice, but then he doesn’t have to.

Hayter looks perfect for the role of Ann, an ingenue who is all naivete and self-centered youth. Although her brittle soprano voice is not always on pitch, she still brings luster to the production with her characterization.

Fuqua’s prudish Henrik is delightful. He delineates the role so well that even when he accidentally knocked over a couch on opening night he attributed it to Henrik’s awkwardness. And he has a likable singing voice--not strong, but always on pitch.

Erin M. McNally, as the servant Petra, and Dana Meller, as the Count’s unhappy wife, both shine in cameos. McNally brings spirited acting, as well as a rich melodic voice, to her role. Her rendition of “The Miller’s Son” was one of the show’s high points.

The pairing of Wight as Madame Armfeldt and Hess as Fredrika made for an effective contrast of world-weary wisdom and bright-eyed innocence.

The large chorus (10 men and women) started out weakly--off pitch and not in unison--but got stronger. The same can be said for the orchestra.

The production also outdid itself technically. E. Junior Usaraga deployed simple period sets rolled in from the wings and delicate sashes or window frames dropped from the fly loft to outline the settings against Susan Hallman’s luminous rose and blue backlighting.

Juan Lopez’s stylish costumes cannot be praised too highly. The women’s striking gowns were particularly becoming.

* “A Little Night Music,” Cal State Fullerton Little Theatre, 800 N. State Blvd., Fullerton. Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. Ends Nov. 7. $8-$12.50. (714) 773-3371. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes. Karen Wight: Madame Armfeldt

Dan Duffy: Frid, her butler

Sara Dean Hess: Fredrika Armfeldt

Matthew R. Fuqua: Henrik Egerman

Kari Hayter: Anne Egerman

Eric Bishop: Fredrik Egerman

Erin M. McNally: Petra

Eve Himmelheber: Desiree Armfeldt

Katie Zerga: Malla, her maid

Edgar Schulz: Bertrand, her domestic

Brad Hoffner: Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm

Dana Meller: Countess Charlotte Malcolm

Jeff Juday: Mr. Lindquist

Lisa Luke Hill: Mrs. Gustavson

Kim Bueno: Mrs. Nordstrom

Fred Voss: Mr. Erlanson

Katie Zerga: Mrs. Segstrom

Sarah Ramsey-Duke: Mrs. Nillson

Melanie Delaney: Mrs. Anderssen

Edgar Schulz: Mr. Myrdahl

Dan Duffy: Mr. Rehnberg

Adreanna Rivoli: Mrs. Nylander

A Cal State Fullerton School of the Arts presentation. Written by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book). Directed by Dean Hess and Lara Teeter. Choreographed by Teeter. Musical direction by Suzanne Harmon. Conducted by Mitchell Fennell. Scene designer: E. Junior Usaraga. Costume designer: Juan Lopez. Lighting designer: Susan Hallman. Sound designer: John R. Fisher. Makeup designer: Lara Hanneman. Hair designer: Rafael Duran.