'The Band Wagon' review: Modest but fun production not quite ready for Broadway

When New York City Center Encores! announced a special 10-day "event" -- a premiere -- in advance of the series' regular weekends of semi-staged concert revivals, it wasn't hard to sniff another Broadway transfer in the chattering air.

In fact, there should be a future for "The Band Wagon," this clever and silly lark of a new star-driven musical, based on the 1953 MGM favorite with such Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz classics as "That's Entertainment" and "Dancing in the Dark."

At this point in the development of director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall's good-humored staging, however, the production values are far too modest for a move while both chorus and onstage orchestra are skimpier than the ones Encores! typically lavishes on short runs that don't have commercial ambitions.

This "Band Wagon" feels more like a joyfully performed early tryout, which is kind of fun because the story, wittily re-imagined by Douglas Carter Beane from the screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, involves a tryout of a show-within-a-show on the road.

Brian Stokes Mitchell, away from the stage for far too long, has an uncharacteristically lighthearted touch as Tony Hunter, an aging, fading Hollywood star seeking to revive his career on Broadway.

Mitchell doesn't pretend he can dance like the movie's Fred Astaire, but he taps in gangly high style and lets his creamy baritone enjoy the occasional croon in such haunting ballads as "By Myself."

Unlike the dance-driven movie, the production is more motivated by strong voices and an unforced behind-the-scenes appreciation of the ridiculous.

The revelation is Tracey Ullman in what appears to be her first live musical. (Can we keep her?) As half the story's writing team (the other half is that versatile pro Michael McKean), Ullman has the snappy delivery of an old movie dame, which we might expect. But she is also a terrific singing, dancing actress, who breezes through a harrowing medley.

Tony Sheldon ("Priscilla, Queen of the Desert") is delightfully self-interested as director and hambone actor, while Laura Osnes (just back from Broadway's "Cinderella") has an unflashy star quality and nuanced soprano agility as Tony's young co-star.

The parody of Martha Graham style for the pretentious choreographer (Michael Berresse) is spot on. But shouldn't someone in this smart company have noticed that the "Macbeth" joke is really quoting "King Lear"?

That way madness lies, indeed.

WHAT "The Band Wagon"

WHERE New York City Center, 131 W. 55th St., through Sunday

INFO $30-$130; 212-581-1212; nycitycenter.org

BOTTOM LINE Delightful tryout, not quite ready for Broadway