MTH is more than a little bit in love with Bernstein

Like a carnival barker, a cast member yells, “It’s 8:02!” Co-stars singing out of sight in a side aisle join musicians and actors slowly gathering onstage. But where’s George Harter? No opening remarks adding context and history to this Musical Theater Heritage show? Finally he appears and says simply, “This isn’t a rehearsal!”

It’s not a rehearsal but it’s clearly a party. This start to Bernstein’s Broadway seems more nightclub gig than formal performance, but Leonard Bernstein wasn’t your typical musical-theater composer. And we learn this without Harter’s introductory comments because he does one better. He narrates throughout this revival of MTH’s show, first performed in 2008 (and written by Harter with director Sarah Crawford).

MTH’s translucent fourth wall and Harter’s repartee invite us into this professional and polished production. A widescreen TV in the lobby silently plays one of Bernstein’s televised educational Young People’s Concerts, his voice’s deep tonality simulcast inside Off Center Theatre. As the evening wears on, we’ll become better acquainted with the famous musician, composer and conductor, who designed a “Broadway sound in symphonic terms.”

Bernstein’s 1957 West Side Story is his best-known contribution to musical theater, but he was a star long before it. As a 25-year-old assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic, he was called at the last minute, in 1943, to fill in for an ill guest conductor. The result of Bernstein’s Carnegie Hall debut, broadcast live over the radio, was a front-page story in The New York Times. (“I didn’t know he would grow up to be Leonard Bernstein,” his father reportedly said, finally accepting his son’s choice of career.)

Bernstein’s Broadway also deserves attention. Here, Harter is a conductor of sorts, his insertions adding insight to what would otherwise be a smattering of show tunes. In addition to West Side Story, Bernstein composed the music for On the Town, Wonderful Town and Candide, each with a distinctive and varied musical style, a reflection of his classical training. (Candide combines elements of Mozart, opera and Gilbert & Sullivan.) The exceptionally talented singers and musicians here give new life to songs from these shows. Some are familiar, others not so much, yet we’re engrossed in all their lyrical renderings.

In typical MTH style, cast members perform at a row of standing microphones. The five leads — Alison Sneegas Borberg, Jacob Aaron Cullum, Ben Gulley, Justin McCoy and Stefanie Wienecke — take star turns, in both solo and ensemble pieces. The seven supporting singers are also strong, especially Tyler Eisenreich, Megan Herrera and Robert Hingula.

The standout moments are too many to mention, but a few to note: Wienecke and Cullum as the taxi driver and the sailor on leave in On the Town‘s humorous “Come Up to My Place”; Wienecke’s witty “100 Ways to Lose a Man”; Borberg and Wienecke’s funny “Ohio” (Wonderful Town); Cullum’s “Jet Song” (WSS); and Borberg’s “A Little Bit in Love,” which feels like a warm breeze.

Songs caressed us — or increased our heartbeats.

McCoy, with a voice that’s full and rich, executes a touching “Lonely Town” (On the Town) and articulates deeply felt longing in “One Hand, One Heart” (WSS).

Gulley’s operatic tenor is mellifluous and versatile, in songs ranging from “Lucky to Be Me” (On the Town), “Conga” (Wonderful Town), and the Gilbert & Sullivan–influenced “Bon Voyage” (Candide). His time-suspending “Maria” kept the audience entranced.

West Side Story gets the most attention in this show, closing Act 2 with 10 songs and providing a final opportunity to appreciate these singers’ ability and charisma. Crowd-pleasing group numbers include “The Quintet,” “America” and “Gee, Officer Krupke.”

The musicians here also have starring roles. Assistant music director Jeremy Watson plays a lively and dynamic piano, switching from subtle accompaniment to spotlight moments worthy of a concert hall. He’s joined by the able Brian Wilson (upright bass) and Kyle Brown (drums).

Crawford gives a View-Master look to the staging with a setup that’s stereographic in its dimension. The lighting design (Shane Rowse) augments this appearance, often bathing the musicians at center stage in a warm red light and making effective use of shadow and spots. (The only technical complaint: some occasional microphone distortion.)

Three large photos of Bernstein at different stages of his life hang as backdrop. As the show progresses, he becomes less a stranger, less remote. We’ve come to understand him through his music and his many creative collaborations. And when he died in 1990, at age 72, his work may have ended but not his legacy. MTH ensures, through this celebration, that the man and his talent aren’t forgotten.