‘Enchanted Evening’ of Songs in Pasadena

Upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse, a charming couple are celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary and they’ve graciously invited the public to share their good fortune.

Or at least that’s the impression given by Amanda McBroom and George Ball during their cabaret show, “Some Enchanted Evening.” A single prop hangs on a clothes rack: Her wedding dress of 19 Decembers ago. Sound like a sentimental gimmick? Of course. Does it work? Surprisingly well.

This success is a tribute to their relationship. McBroom and Ball form a partnership both professionally and socially. When they share the Rodgers & Hammerstein title song, their duet transforms first-night infatuation into a homage to lifelong commitment. They range from Randy Newman tunes to Frank Sinatra standards, often locating selections alongside events in their marriage.

McBroom is the more gifted singer. She brings to her own compositions “The Rose” and “Crimes of the Heart” a wealth of nuance. Ball’s powerful voice sometimes overwhelms fragile lyrics, particularly during Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s “September Song.” But all is forgiven, as if we’re crouching before a fireplace on a wintry night and sharing our favorite songs. If one note falls flat, the next won’t. Everyone’s in this together--or at least that’s the welcome mat put out by McBroom and Ball.

With Gordon Hunt directing gently like an astute chaperon, the couple’s banter feels warm and natural. McBroom’s stories about growing up in Southern California, and observing her father act in B-movies, are especially poignant.

“Some Enchanted Evening” delivers what it promises. In the process, it removes sentimentality from nostalgia and restores the sentiment. That ain’t easy. But neither is relationship.

* “Some Enchanted Evening,” Upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Ends Sunday. $20. (818) 356-PLAY. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.