Brad Willcuts, the director of “A Grand Night for Singing” and the new musical theater professor at Michigan State University, takes his audiences backward in time with the opening show of the Summer Circle Theater’s 56^th season.

A Grand Night for Singing is a musical revue of songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and they’re all sung by six ensemble members: Hannah Martin, Lukas Jacob, Katelyn Hodge, Kristy Allen, Jacob Covert and Greg Hunter.

Musicals are hot tickets these days, both on Broadway and in performing venues around the country. There is more variety in musical offerings than ever before. Nearly every genre of music is represented and themes and topics are as varied as the audiences. Nothing is off-limits and musicals are pushing the boundaries and finding new audiences everywhere.

However, there was a time when things were a little more structured, a little more predictable. Every musical had a love story and nearly all of them had a happy ending. There were big show-tune numbers, love ballads, and soaring solos. The 1940s and 50s were considered the Golden Age of musical theater, with major shows entering the culture that would leave a footprint and be part of what everyone knew.

At the center of this golden age was the composer Rodgers and lyricist-dramatist Hammerstein, a team that would produce such major hits as “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” “South Pacific,” “The King and I,” “The Sound of Music” and “Cinderella.”

A Grand Night for Singing, first produced in 1993, celebrates this duo and the work that they did. It’s a revue that spotlights some of their major hits as well as songs from lesser-known musicals such as “Allegro,” “Me and Juliet,” “State Fair,” “Pipe Dream” and “Flower Drum Song.”

For a theater that is 56 years old and got its start just as the Golden Age was drawing to its close, A Grand Night for Singing seems fitting for its audience and outdoor setting. The backdrop of its relatively new stage—this marks the second year they’ve performed in the new permanent outdoor theater next to the MSU Auditorium—is painted in a theatrical blue with starry lights shining through in a scenic design by Lee Joes that was simple and evocative of the era’s showiness.

The cast had a comfortable chemistry with each other as they moved in and out of solos, duets, trios and ensemble pieces. The choreography, also by Willcuts, was kept simple for the most part. There were a few dance numbers including a tap dance and the “Shall We Dance?” number from The King and I. But for the most part the dancing was limited to walking and moving about the stage with stools and microphones.

Cast members interacted well with the audience, flirting and talking to them, and moving in and out of the lawn chairs.

Musical Director Dave Wendelberger was on stage the entire time at the piano along with fellow musicians Ryan McMahon and Nathan Walker. The three of them created a full sound that worked for each number, providing support for the singers without ever overwhelming them.

A Grand Night for Singing is all about the music and not the storytelling. The performers acted out stories within the songs, but don’t expect any sort of through-line or character arcs that travel through the musical. This is a revue in its purest sense. It celebrates Rodgers and Hammerstein and seeks to entertain those who love the music of the Golden Age and the traditional show tunes that it spawned.

The team at MSU’s Summer Circle make the 1 hour and 40-minute show (with 15 minute intermission) revue work, providing an excellent evening of free outdoor theater.

Click here for show days, times and details.