A Well-Intentioned Salute

One thing is certain with Orange Coast College’s “Swingtime Canteen”: The timing is right on.

With Memorial Day fresh behind us and the Fourth of July coming up, the production fits nicely, at least from a seasonal angle.

Though this slight musical is more of a parody than you’d know by watching director John Ferzacca’s version at the Costa Mesa campus, its flag-waving enthusiasm nonetheless generates a patriotic mood.

The setting--created by Linda Thorsen Bond, William Repicci and Charles Busch, and first produced off-Broadway in 1995--is a USO-like show for the boys during World War II. While young soldiers (several actors strategically placed in the front row of the Drama Lab Theatre) cheer, a quintet of women entertains them.

The leader is Marian (Marcie Lynn Ross), an apparently over-the-hill MGM star who provides much of the requisite gumption as she revs up her audience. She has support in Kate Smith-clone Topeka (Patricia Miller), the inexperienced Katie (Jill DeFreitas), spunky Jo (Elizabeth A. Bouton) and the glamorous Lilly (Janeen Rene Gronsky).

The sometimes tricky relationship between these songbirds gives the musical some narrative identity. Jo and Lilly, for instance, almost have a cat fight over a man Lilly stole. But the real focus is the 30 tunes that make up the bulk of the show. These are familiar melodies, many of them classics, including “Sentimental Journey,” “How High the Moon,” “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Thank Your Lucky Stars and Stripes.”

Here’s where the biggest problem emerges. Though the cast is never short on pluck and good vibes, the voices just aren’t consistently strong or nuanced enough to massage the most out of these numbers.

The ballads and softer songs are especially uneven. Take Bouton’s rendition of the touching “I’ll Be Seeing You.” It’s OK--she finds all the right notes--but it just doesn’t pull you in and hold you tight.

The company, however, is more successful on the lighter, up-tempo tunes. “Sing, Sing, Sing” is appropriately rousing--it really energizes the show, if only briefly--and Ross’ daffy handling of “Don’t Fence Me In” also scores.

This production needs more humor like that. Keep in mind that co-creator Busch starred in the New York City version of “Swingtime Canteen,” dressed in full drag as Marian. Critics noted how his gender-blurring antics enlivened a predictable, even hokey musical. OCC could use that same kind of energy.

BE THERE

* “Swingtime Canteen,” Orange Coast College’s Drama Lab Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. today through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Ends Sunday. $7-$10. (714) 432-5880. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.