Songs of Broadway bring Cape song-and-dance performers to Cotuit

The show: "The World Goes ‘Round,” music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thomson, directed by Donna Wresinski, and presented by the Cotuit Center for the Arts.

What it's about: This is a sweet and satisfying goodie bag of the musical masterpieces of one of the great songwriting duos of the 20^th century. John Kander and Fred Ebb were responsible for the tunes that made shows like “Chicago,” “Cabaret,” “New York, New York” and “Liza with a Z” such hits. Their pieces run the gamut from plaintive melodies such as “My Coloring Book,” “I Don’t Remember You” and “Sometimes a Day Goes By,” to fun and funky numbers including “Mr. Cellophane” and “Money Money.” In fact, this compilation of tunes is like a grand tour of musical theater over 40 years of the last century.

The songs are performed in this one-weekend-only show (Feb. 4-5) by the eight-member cast of actors, all of whom have sung and danced on stages all over Caper Cod. (This proves once again that Cape musical theater is a pleasant addiction for both performers and audiences.) They are accompanied by a four-piece band under the direction of Pam Wannie, with Misao Koyama on piano, Chris Santos on percussion, Rich Hill on bass and Janice Smith on woodwinds. And, in fact, the band is part of both the set and the show, as actors sit by the grand piano for numbers like “My Coloring Book,” sung with just the right touches of sweetness and melancholy by Sara Bleything.

Highlights of the show: The performers do the Kander and Ebb songs justice, in some cases infusing them with powerful emotion, and in others filling them with fun and frivolity. The voices of the two male cast members — Zack Johnson and Beau Jackett — were especially strong and emotion-filled. In one effective and touching duet, Jackett sings “Sometimes a Day Goes By” as Johnson delivers “I Don’t Remember You,” with the two songs melding together in perfect harmony. This is a particularly effective technique that’s repeated throughout the show.

The six-female ensemble members also bring strong and sure voices to the show. Bleything is especially versatile, with Rebecca Riley being great fun and flirtatious in songs like “Arthur in the Afternoon” and “All That Jazz.” And Kathleen Larson Day owns the stage in numbers including the opener, “The World Goes ‘Round.”

And, of course, no tour of musical theater would be complete without energy-filled dance numbers. The choreography of Teri Shea proves particularly unique and effective in numbers such as “All That Jazz,” “Mr. Cellophane” and “Money Money.”

Worth noting: According to the theater’s executive director, David Kuehn, the show is “enveloped in love.” In fact, director Wresinski dedicated the show to her late husband Michael, who was an avid Kander and Ebb fan and a longtime member of the Cape theater community. A photo of Michael sits on the piano throughout the show, making it clear that he is there in spirit.

One more thing: There is even a bit of audience participation thrown in for good measure during the number “Ring Them Bells.”

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cotuit Center for the Arts honors Kander and Ebb with warm revue