The best from Broadway by the Bay

It’s sad that Broadway by the Bay’s "Ahrens and Flaherty: Words and Music” did not extend for another weekend at the San Mateo Center for the Performing Arts.

Having four Broadway musical stars on the local stage at one time is a unique experience and I would have sent an urgent note to all theater lovers in the Bay area to hasten down to witness why musical productions from, or for, Broadway, set the standard for the nation, if not the world.

There was an aura of perfection arching over the efforts of these four. Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns, the composer and lyricist, are already assured enter into a "Broadway Musical Hall of Fame” for their immortal drama/musical "Ragtime” and Jason Danieley and his beautiful wife Marin Mazzi are famed musical stage performers.

Ahrens and Flaherty had just come from the opening of three days before of their successfully received new musical, "The Glorious Ones.” And Danieley and Mazzi took leaves from their current appearances on Broadway to help their friends fulfill an appearance they agreed to over a year ago with Broadway by the Bay Executive Director Greg Phillips.

Such fidelity is not all that common in the theatrical world.

But there they were, showing us how professionalism may expand what is really a musical revue into a theatrical event. In the broadest sense, there was an attempt at covering the inception and history of their 20-year collaboration, with high points including productions of "Once on This Island,” "Dessa Rose,” and that miracle of success "Seussical,” which is well on its way to a record number of productions around the world.

But this was not intended to be comprehensive, just more of a gathering of melodies which would round out a winning 80 minute hold on the audience. And they succeeded. One needs to watch how well choreographed are all of the performer’s reactions and stage movements. Attention from the one performing never wavers from the others as they reflect, as if, with the audience, this is, indeed, also their first hearing. While Ahrens served primarily as the emcee, Flaherty, a phenomenal pianist, almost knocked the audience dead with his recreation of the introductory musical themes to "Ragtime.” There is a difference in singing from the upholstered saloon style of Frank Sinatra through concert stage and grand opera. Somewhere in between is the unique American musical theater style that made such as Ethel Merman and Robert Goulet famous and Danieley and one time Tony nominee, Mazzie, have it all. They are terrific. Both, also, alternate in songs from others of the duos musicals, including "A Man of No Importance,” and there was a knockout oversexy bit called "Speaking French” from their first, almost forgotten effort: "Lucky Stiff.” This is the kind of show that leaves the audience asking for more and the creative duo obliged with three new compositions intended for future shows. After that, they were lucky to get away from that rocking crowd yet unwilling to give up demands for more. Sorry if you missed it.