THEATER REVIEW : An Intermittently De-Lovely ‘Cole’ : The latest incarnation of this Cole Porter revue at the Henry Fonda Theatre has deluxe songs and a solid cast but mixes clever ideas with timid ones.

What is this thing called “Cole”? Is it the good turtle soup, or merely the mock? Or is it a form of coleslaw?

It depends on what part of this Cole Porter revue you’re watching--and maybe even on which night you’re watching it.

The music is deluxe, and the cast at the Henry Fonda Theatre is often delightful. Still, the first part of “Cole” on opening night was decidedly shaky, with one actor tripping onto the stage and another appearing to forget a line of the sketchy narration about Porter’s life and times.

“Cole” gets points for opening with musical director Carl Danielsen singing a brief verse of “Wouldn’t It Be Fun?”--in which the moneyed Porter imagined life as a ditch digger. It sets the right note of cheeky insouciance.

But then the rest of the cast is introduced with “Another Opening, Another Show”--such a stale idea that it seems like just another show. Indeed, the rival revue “Red, Hot and Cole,” seen in many productions in recent years, introduces its cast with the same number.

The rest of the evening, directed and choreographed by Bick Goss, is generally stronger. The overall effect is frequently rousing, though never revelatory.

It’s not a new revue. This “Cole” is loosely based on a 1974 “Cole” that was first produced in London and has been produced in the Southland. That show’s creators, Alan Strachan and Benny Green, retain a “devised by” credit here, but the song selection and text have been altered. There are even references to “Dr. Joyce” and Whoopi Goldberg; the latter works better than the former.

This incarnation began in San Jose, then enjoyed a long run in San Francisco. Yet the cast and design are largely new for Los Angeles. Danielsen is the only onstage survivor from up north.

The stage is framed by a glittery half-circle, designed by Kenneth Foy and shot through with Art Deco lines and zigzags on moving parts that are sometimes too loud.

Danielsen is at center stage for much of the evening, perched at a revolving grand piano. He has an old-fashioned affability as well as a limber tongue (most notably in “They Couldn’t Compare to You”), and he also breaks away from the keyboard to do an occasional tap.

The new recruits are an able lot. Keith David’s big bass-baritone voice adds a degree of heft to the suave style normally associated with “I’m a Gigolo.” Ray Benson has a sweet tenor and a snappy way of beginning the beguine.

His partner in that dance is La Chanze, who earlier wiggled her way through a ditty called “Dizzy Baby” and later transforms herself into the epitome of red-gowned elegance in an assured “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” That number also marks the high point of Richard Hornung’s costume design, which occasionally lingers too long with the predictable.

Wanda Richert-Preston is a good-natured Ginger Rogers type through much of the show, but then strips down to black lingerie for a second-act dance.

Nancy Ringham displays even greater versatility. She’s equally at home in an ardent “I Love Paris” and “So in Love” and the down-to earth comedy of “The Tale of the Oyster” and “The Physician.”

Ringham is such a gifted comic that Goss couldn’t resist focusing on her at a couple of inappropriate moments, such as “Night and Day,” which is reduced to a vehicle for Ringham’s antics. On the other hand, Goss’ funny bone came in handy in a couple of complicated group numbers, “Mack the Black” and “It’s De-Lovely.”

Nothing is more complicated than the first-act finale, “Anything Goes,” when the cast members take that title literally by dragging out a piccolo, trumpet, bass drum, tuba and cymbals to accompany themselves. Though it’s hardly a display of musical virtuosity, it does embody the song’s breezy attitude.

It follows the most dramatic moments of Goss’ staging. A spirited “Ridin’ High” is suddenly interrupted with the news of Porter’s incapacitating fall from a horse. And a fervent “Love For Sale,” sung by La Chanze and Benson, segues into David’s brooding rendition of “It’s All Right With Me”--in which David’s lonely customer appears to be having a tough time choosing between the sexual services of the woman or the man.

This is the show’s only moment that hints at Porter’s own love life--though he had homosexual affairs, he was married to one of the era’s most beautiful women.

Otherwise, the narration keeps Porter in the closet, which seems awfully timid in 1993. Goss even staged a couple of moments in which two men indicate some disgust at how close they’ve accidentally come to embracing. Please, to paraphrase a Porter lyric, don’t fence him in.

* “Cole,” Henry Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday matinees, 2 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; with a 3:30 p.m. performance this Friday replacing next Sunday evening’s performance. No performances Dec. 21-26. Ends Jan. 9. $28-$42. (213) 480-3232. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes.

Michael Frazier & Ted Snowdon with Joan Cullman present a Cole Porter revue. Devised by Alan Strachan and Benny Green. Original arrangements by Ken Moule. Directed and choreographed by Bick Goss. New arrangements by William Roy and musical director Carl Danielsen. Sets by Kenneth Foy. Costumes by Richard Hornung. Lights by Howell Binkley. Sound by David Dansky.