Elf Esteem

In the cast of nine, there's only one standout, Sally Soldo, a veteran chanteuse who can belt a tune like Barbara Cook. She also tap-dances with giddy precision. Beguiled Again might have been a nicer evening had Soldo done it all as a one-woman cabaret.

As it is, however, director Terry Dobson, who's also the musical conductor, has delivered a production that looks and sounds awkward and slapdash. Many in the cast hit sour notes on their solos and then just stand around bored or confused when they're not center stage. None of the men in the ensemble knows what to do with his hands when he sings.

And what's the deal with Theatre Three's costume department? I've noted before its tendency to put actors and actresses, particularly those carrying a few extra pounds, in unflattering outfits. For this show designers Patty Greer and Patty Korbelic Williams have dressed the men in ill-fitting tuxedos and encased the women in plug-ugly polyester evening gowns and sparkly muumuus that look like leftovers from the Milton Berle estate sale. No matter how tight the costume budget, there's no excuse for making anyone wear clothing that's too tight or just too awful for words. For a number meant to depict Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, actress Connie Coit is sent onstage in a dress and wig that make her an exact double for old Mrs. Slocombe on Are You Being Served? Poor thing.

There is no storyline and no character development in Beguiled Again. The songs are strung together in suggestions of settings, such as an old '30s radio show or the stage of a Manhattan supper club. There are medleys, solos and group numbers. (Theatre Three's program didn't include a song list or any hint of who sings what.)

All this takes place on scenic designer Harland Wright's minimal but tasteful set. Above the four-piece combo seated in a corner of Theatre Three's square acting space hangs a perfectly lovely art deco sign for the "Rainbow Room." Nice touch. Just don't expect to find any gold underneath it.