Happy hour(s) at the Barn

AUGUSTA — “Holey moley!” veteran Barn Theatre star EricParker gasped as he surveyed the crowd for Tuesday evening’s “The Great Big BarShow.” “We’re here — and they’re here! The Barn Theatre is back, and it’s hereto stay!”

A year ago, those words might have been less convincing. TheBarn, an Equity theater that had been in operation for 64 years, did not launcha 2010 season in the wake of what producer/owner Brendan Ragotzy called a“horrible” year in 2009 that left the theater approximately $200,000 in thehole. But if there were any hard feelings or misgivings among the patrons whocrowded into the cozy Rehearsal Shed Lounge for the first night of the “BarShow,” they weren’t evident: From the opening medley of “As If We’d Never SaidGoodbye” (from “Sunset Blvd.,” which the Barn will produce in August) and“Another Openin’, Another Show” (from “Kiss Me, Kate”), the Barn received arousing welcome back. Number after number was greeted with hearty applause,whistles and cheers.

“It’s been a long year and a half,” Ragotzy admitted in hiscurtain speech. He must have been deeply gratified to find that his audiencehad returned in high spirits.

Playing out in three generally lighthearted sets over twoand a half hours, “The Big Bar Show” is part Barn history lesson — with Parkerand co-stars Roy Brown and Emily May Smith providing entertaining trivia aboutthe theater’s past — and part preview of coming attractions. Substantialportions of the program are devoted to the scores of “Man of La Mancha,”“Chicago” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” all of which are on thesummer slate.

Although the physical space is limited, there’s norestricting the energy of the nearly two-dozen Barn Apprentice Company members,who are effectively spotlighted. They do a particularly impressive jobcompressing the Bob Fosse-inspired choreography of “Chicago” into the cozyconfines of the Rehearsal Shed. (In between sets, they serve as the waitstaffand bartenders, so you literally get to see them set down their trays, take offtheir aprons and take to the stage.)

Through clever staging by director Hans Friedrichs and oftengorgeous vocal arrangements from musical director John Jay Espino, the “BarShow” often feels like a much bigger production than it is. There are nomicrophones and, aside from guest appearances by guitarist Troy Benton andbanjo player Charlie King, no musical accompaniment except Espino’s piano. Butthe Barn has always been smart about making a little go a long way.

Friedrichs frequently surrounds the audience with song toenchanting effect: After hearing what the Apprentices do with the multiplesections of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s “Tonight,” it’s intriguingto imagine a cabaret presentation of “West Side Story,” and when the chimingharmonies of “The Sound of Music” hit you from all directions, it’s a wonderfulsensation. The sublime voices of third-year Apprentices Katrina Chizek andPatrick Hunter are spotlighted, as Chizek puts her soulful belt behind “SkidRow” (from “Little Shop of Horrors”) and “Seasons of Love” (from “Rent”), andHunter demonstrates his formidable range by tackling solemn Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “SunsetBlvd.” material at the beginning of the third set and then leading a rambunctious “TimeWarp” (from “The Rocky Horror Show”) shortly afterward.

Parker, Brown and Smith anchor the evening with solos andduets that remind you why they’ve become three of the theater’s mostdependable, versatile performers. Parker (who confessed that “The Big Bar Show”is his 100^th Barn production) channels the fiery spirit of JeanValjean in “What Have I Done” from “Les Miserables,” but is equally skilled atfinding the comedy in Lancelot’s vainglorious “C’est Moi” from “Camelot.” Smitheasily moves from wistful Cinderella in “My Own Little Corner” to the spunkyAnnie Oakley of “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun” and the mystifiedvulnerability of a cast-off mistress in “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.”Brown’s finest moments come in his playful take on “My Fair Lady’s” “Get Me tothe Church On Time” and his mournful, slow-boiling “Kiss Juanita for Me,” takenfrom the score of Ragotzy’s original musical “Old Timer, which the Barnpremiered 10 years ago.

“The Great Big Bar Show” concludes with the entire cast declaring “There’sNo Business Like Show Business,” a fitting finale to a night that persuasivelyargues that the Barn is most definitely back in the game.