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As a thirty-something couple desperate to conceive and desperately failing, Rani Wachter (Pam) and Jeffrey Nicoloff (Nick) fill the stage with virtual backflips of energy and charisma. These two actors may know they're in a musical...but they never let on. Their scenes play like reality and their connectedness pervades - they are always in the proverbial moment. In both the scenes and songs of "Romance" and its reprise, their performances make audiences forget that Neil Simon wasn't involved with the musical as their show impeccable timing, understanding and connectedness.

As a young couple in love and pregnant, Geoffrey Klein (Danny) and Camille Shavione (Lizzie) give memorable performances. Mr. Klein isn't afraid to sing and when he does he takes the show---his "I Chose Right" is one of the production's best moments. Ms. Shavione may not be an even match, but she succeeds---most often when she shares the stage with Mr. Klein.

As a middle-aged couple accidentally coming back to the labor room by way of a few too many bottles of champagne, David Adams (Alan) and Debbie Noonan (Arlene) are well cast. Both the characters and actors have superior moments in act two. They are at their best with their touching eleven o'clock number "And What If We Had Loved Like That".

These are six fine performers when they are doing things that people do. Unfortunately, there are too many moments when they do things that people do not do.

In the history of musical comedy, there have never been so many contrived occasions for actors to sing duet moments back-to-back for the sole puporse of being able turn to back to each other on a crescendo. From the opening number on there are "cutesy" bits that even in these able performers hands seem out of place and over-directed. Even Ms. Wachter, the tour-de-force of the production, was convinced to cross down-stage center to stand and deliver after having spent the previous five minutes convincing audiences that she is lying in a particular position post-coitally to improve the chances of fertility. Think about it.

The set (designed by director Rob Schrader) is functional---who doesn't like the idea of sitting down in a theatre with only three beds filling the stage? But the placement of these beds does, in the end, prove problematic as the stage is left only two entrances and exits - sometimes traffic jamming the affair. The costumes (Donna Gettings Apperson) fit the actors. Brandon Lyles lighting does a good job of seperating areas, denoting time of day and allowing warming musical moments.

A sidenote: The real star of Baby is Richard Maltby, Jr., the show's lyricist. In his prime with most-oft writing partner David Shire, Mr. Maltby has provided some of the wittiest lyricist ever devised for a musical comedy. He's the kind of lyricist that isn't afraid to write in a popular vernacular. He isn't afraid to give a lyric or rhyme that in unskilled hands might make both audience and performer cringe. Fortunately these performers are skilled.

Baby runs until October 6th, 2007.  Call 229-0431 for tickets.