42nd Street Moon, which produces little known musicals, successfully does a stretch to present Kander and Ebb's Zorba. The musical based on the Fox film Zorba the Greek has seldom been seen since Anthony Quinn appeared on stage in 1983 in New York. It is a tough musical to stage but, thanks to great singing and energy-driven Greek dances, the company pulls it off.

I first saw Zorba at the Imperial with Herschel Bernardi playing Zorba and Maria Karnilova playing the aging courtesan Mme Hortense. It received mixed reviews from critics, although the New York Times called it "a musical with exquisite style and finesse." Many found issues with its darker aspects, since it contained three three deaths, one a suicide and another a murder. Later I saw John Raitt and Chita Rivera in the musical in Los Angeles. There is talk that Zorba will be revived in New York with Antonio Banderas.

Zorba takes place in a Greek village where times are hard for the citizens. The plot centers around the relationship between Niko (Ian Leonard), a fervently guarded young man, and the stimulating middle-aged Alexis Zorba (Michael Stevenson), whom he meets when he arrives at a Greek village to claim a mine he inherited.

Michael Stevenson does not evoke the larger than life persona that Anthony Quinn brought to the 1964 film or Herschel Bernardi brought to the stage, but he does bring a down-to-earth, transmissible humor to the character. He has a powerful voice when singing "The First Time", "Grandpapa" and "I Am Free" and has great liveliness when dancing.

Ian Leonard (Fly by Night at TheatreWorks) is excellent as the sad faced Nikko. He has a rich voice singing "The Butterfly" and "That's a Beginning." Stephanie Rhodes gives a poignant performance as the courtesan Hortense. She is charming singing "Only Love," "Goodbye Canavaro" and "Happy Birthday." "The Butterfly" is very moving sung by Alexandra Kaprielian as The Leader and Teressa Byrne as The Widow. Both do splendid work in their roles. Ben Euphrat, Stewart Kramar, Michael Rhone and Kyle Stoner provide great backup to the singers in several of the numbers.

There is a distinct flavor of Greek music to the Kander and Ebb score and somehow you even get a feeling of Fiddler on the Roof in some of the melodies. Although there is not a hit parade of songs in the score, the music and lyrics are exciting and vibrant. Musical Director David Dobrusky adds to the enjoyment of the musical. Director Greg MacKellan's fluid staging is supported by choreographer Staci Arriaga who makes great use of the limited stage area to convey peasant energy to invigorate the events. The set, costume and prop design by zavalayoung productions give the whole stage a Greek feel.

Zorba plays through May 20th at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San Francisco. For tickets call 415-255-8207 or on line at www.42ndstmoon.org. Next up will be Ticket to the Moon, 42nd Street Moon's annual fundraiser on Monday June 18th at the Alcazar Theatre, 650 Geary St, San Francisco with an all-star cast of 42nd Street Moon entertainers.

Cheers - and be sure to Check the lineup of great shows this season in the San Francisco area

- Richard Connema