Thats not a bad thing per se. But pity the person who sees this nostalgic musical revue and assumes its what the east Mesa dinner theater is all about. Its not.

Although a well-meaning musical marathon, Yesterdays is a slim sliver of a show compared to what patrons have come to expect from Broadway Palm in its first year. Given the absence of the theaters regular director and musical director, Yesterdays smacks of a makeshift piece thrown in between Annie, which ended the venues first season, and Ragtime, which starts the 2002-2003 season on Oct. 10.

Having apologized for Yesterdays as atypical of Broadway Palms musical theater fare, let us also say some folks will have a fun time at director and choreographer Victor Legarettas salute to 50s and 60s pop songs. Thats especially true of people looking for a no-brainer dinner and show in the the dog days of summer.

Yesterdays is as slight as a revue comes, with six singers rushing through some 60 songs. Granted they do so under Brian Pias assured musical direction. But in trying to cover so many Top 40 hits in two hours, some vocalists have no choice but to reduce some numbers to nothing more than opening lines, such as Teenager in Love.

Legaretta developed Yesterdays at Broadway Palms Fort Myers, Fla., location. Producer Will Prather seems to have given him a free hand. We suspect Prathers instructions went something like, Vic, could you please create a small cast show to fill in the gaps between our big productions?

Whatever Legarettas marching orders, he has to be credited for his good match of three male and three female vocalists. They throw themselves body and soul into Yesterdays as if it was a really big show.

Damaris Lopez was Thursdays unrivaled crowd pleaser, and not just because she had two standard show stoppers: R-E-S-P-E-C-T and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman. Weve heard plenty of vocalists cheat their way through these spine tinglers. Not Lopez. She pours genuine emotion and superb technical skill into these anthems of womanhood.
In the shows most pointed nod to the late 60s, belter Elisabeth Loos drew cheers on an impassioned Me and Bobby McGee. After a so-so showing in Act One, soprano Stacie May Hassler comes through in the second act on Dancing in the Streets.

The first halfs centerpiece for the men is a dueling Elvis set between Erik Hogan and Jeff March, the latter an 80s mainstay on local stages now back in Arizona. Fortunately, they dont ham it up too much on Blue Suede Shoes, Heartbreak Hotel and Jailhouse Rock. Ultimately, they defer to Legaretta, who settles the Presley showdown with his own lip-quivering Love Me Tender.
Yesterdays better moments are in ensemble pieces, such as a Motown medley and a Beatles sampler. The second half is marred with two errors in judgment. For some reason, March sings Johnnie Rays Cry, a 1951 hit that is out of place in the second halfs celebration of 60s songs. The shows low point comes when Legaretta spoofs TV ads hyping huge CD packages of songs from this or that decade. He actually tries to parody Sonny and Cher and Tiny Tim, famed for Tiptoe Through the Tulips.

Trust me, at their peaks, the Bonos and Mr. Tim were parodies unto themselves.

Yesterdays
Who: Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre
When: 6 p.m. Fridays and Thursdays, 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturdays and Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Sundays. Ends Oct. 5.
Where: 5247 E. Brown Road, Mesa
Cost: $22-$39
Info:
Grade: B-