Oh grand night

The Cosmopolitan Cabaret opened Friday night with its premiere of A Grand Night for Singing, the Tony-nominated collection of big’uns and lesser-knowns from the 11-musicals-deep career of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The set is breezy and romantic, the performers full of the whimsy of love that loosely sweeps the ensemble from song to song (Justin Michael Duval, Lisa Ferris and Jill Van Velzer, with especially energized shows from Melissa Wolfklain and Ryan Drummond). But the revue is a bit self-defeating. The funner songs can carry themselves on intrinsic merit, and are well executed by the fivesome—“I Can’t Say No”; “Kansas City”; and a particularly entertaining rendition of “Honey Bun,” complete with an a cappella “horn” section—but many of the otherwise evocative ballads skew toward powerless without context. If you’re die-hard for R&H, it’s a grand night to be sure. For the rest of us, it’s a little less surrey, a little more the fringe on top.

A Grand Night for Singing, 7 p.m. Wednesday, 2 and 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; $33-$43. The Cosmopolitan Cabaret, 1000 K Street, (916) 557-1999; www.cosmopolitancabaret.com. Through May 8.