‘Madam’ Has Heart of Gold

Complete with a 100% hum-the-hit guarantee, the Reprise! edition of Irving Berlin’s “Call Me Madam” is a mellow treat, easily one of the best shows I’ve seen under this particular banner at the UCLA Freud Playhouse.

Why this one? Certainly the Reprise! folks, presenting semi-staged concert editions of musicals, have undertaken stronger material. They have dealt with far bigger marquee-value names, though the Freud itself has no actual marquee.

But this one clicks. There’s an ease and authority in the casting, Alan Johnson’s snappy choreography, musical director Peter Matz’s charts for the 13-piece orchestra, in John Bowab’s efficient direction.

Even if it had none of these, “Call Me Madam” would still boast what can only be termed a $50 number. It is the incomparably catchy duet “You’re Just in Love,” sung here by Karen Morrow, who has cozied up to her share of roles originated by Ethel Merman and, lately in “Martin Guerre,” Hugh Panaro.

Berlin added this ringer to “Call Me Madam” just before it opened on Broadway in 1950. Like Berlin’s “Louisiana Purchase” 10 years earlier, the show was a genial, topical goof on contemporary politics. Merman played “the hostess with the mostes,” Sally Adams, a brassy variation on Perle Mesta, the Washington, D.C., party giver and Harry Truman crony who became minister to Luxembourg.

The musical’s heroine is dispatched by Truman to the fictional land of Lichtenburg, where Sally falls for the handsome Cosmo Constantine (Michael Nouri, Mr. Relaxation--the guy makes Perry Como look like Jim Carrey). Adams’ earnest assistant (Panaro) meantime espies Princess Maria (Melissa Dye) and ka-thump, ka-thump--he hears music but there’s no one there! He’s just in love.

Fifty years later, some theatergoers recognize the name Perle Mesta, while others don’t know Perle Mesta from Pearle Vision. No matter. The Howard Lindsay-Russel Crouse libretto has been very deftly trimmed and adjusted by Charles Repole and Bill Russell. No one can do much about Berlin’s Lichtenburgian folk dance ditty “The Ocarina”--which is like Berlin’s “Piccolino” yanked out of Italy and plunked down here--but even this number is treated fairly and squarely.

Morrow, who can really open up those vowel sounds and flash a winning smile, wisely doesn’t force the comedy. In “We Like Ike,” a trio of D.C. flunkies speculates on the upcoming 1952 presidential election; Michael Tucci, as the Republican of the bunch (“I’m a Republican,” he keeps saying) proves especially wry. Paul Keith does a wonderful turn--Jules Munshin lives!--as Cosmo’s sometime nemesis, Sebastian Sebastian.

The Berlin score’s other official pip, “It’s a Lovely Day Today,” goes to Panaro and Dye. Dye finesses her routine role just so. Panaro’s an equally strong singer, though he’d come off even better if he relaxed a little. This is what happens when a singer-actor does “Martin Guerre,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserables”: He has a difficult time not going for the jugular with every song. Berlin’s stuff isn’t like that.

The reason audiences go nuts--joyously nuts--for tunes such as “It’s a Lovely Day Today” and “You’re Just in Love” hasn’t to do with the killer instinct (although Merman certainly had hers working overtime every minute). It’s about charm. No classic, “Call Me Madam” had charm in spades. So does the Reprise! version.

* “Call Me Madam,” Reprise! Broadway’s Best, Freud Playhouse, Macgowan Hall, UCLA, Westwood (adjacent parking UCLA Lot 3, Sunset Boulevard at Hilgard Avenue). Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m. (2 p.m. only Sept. 24). Ends Sept. 24. $50. (310) 825-2101. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Karen Morrow: Mrs. Sally Adams

Michael Nouri: Cosmo Constantine

Hugh Panaro: Kenneth Gibson

Melissa Dye: Princess Maria

Jeff Austin: Mr. Gibson

Michael Tucci: Congressman Wilkins

Gerry McIntyre: Sen. Gallagher

Paul Clausen: Sen. Brockbank

Robert Mandan: Pemberton Maxwell

Paul Keith: Sebastian Sebastian

Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Concert adaptation by Charles Repole and Bill Russell. Directed by John Bowab. Musical director Peter Matz. Choreographer Alan Johnson. Scenic design by Ray Klausen. Costumes by Noel Taylor. Lighting by Tom Ruzika. Stage manager Jill Johnson Gold.