Sweet and sassy 'Ladies'

Pizazz and panache, style and swing -- Perrin Post's salute to "Broadway's Legendary Ladies" has still got it, mostly.

The revue, which re-creates signature performances of such stage and screen stars as Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury and Carol Channing, opened over the weekend in a retooled version at the Ordway Center's McKnight Theatre.

This revival differs from its earlier incarnation at the Loring Playhouse in Minneapolis in more than its look. It feels more upscale in this context, in part because of the formality of the larger venue.

The program for "Ladies" also has been tweaked at the bookends and in the middle. And the cast has changed. No matter, it is still a thrill, with beautiful performances by such singing actors as Jen Burleigh-Bentz, back from a spell of "Mamma Mia!" on Broadway; Ann Michels, fresh off her much-praised turn in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at the Jungle Theater, and bankable vocal powerhouse Jody Briskey.

In some ways, "Ladies" is also a tribute to the stamina and grit of female performers in an industry known for using up talent. The song list, from "And I Was Beautiful," commendably sung by Briskey, to the finale, "I'm Still Here," underscored determination and strength.

Of all the luminaries of Broadway, Merman is perhaps the most beloved icon, immortalized for holding a high C for 16 bars during the song "I Got Rhythm," from the George and Ira Gershwin musical "Girl Crazy." I half expected one of the singers in "Ladies" to try to match Merman in the part of the show that hails her.

The Merman numbers that we get -- Burleigh-Bentz's smooth rendition of "The Hostess With the Mostes'" (from "Call Me Madam") and Michelle Carter's slyly comical "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun" ("Annie Get Your Gun") -- are still satisfying.

Director/producer Post has chosen not only signature songs performed by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters and Audra McDonald, but also lesser-known numbers, which gives "Ladies" a nice sense of rediscovery.

The show has many highlights, including Michels' knowing and fun turn on "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" (from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," first made famous by Carol Channing, although Marilyn Monroe took the part on screen) and Holly Schroeder's performance of "Why Do the Wrong People Travel" (Elaine Stritch in "Sail Away").

The actors change costumes almost as often as they change numbers in a show with more than 30 songs.

The cast, ably backed by David Lohman's four-piece band, delivers, giving "Ladies" a spunk and playfulness. In singing and performing steps re-created from Bob Fosse and Jack Cole by choreographer Michael Matthew Ferrell, they sell their numbers with sass. And they make the production a sweet valentine to some of Broadway's leading ladies.

Rohan Preston • 612-673-4390