半岛体育

Adam Pascal's soaring rock tenor, which remains in impeccable form, may still be ringing in your ears when the cast of Disaster! take their final bow, but it is the women who are stealing this feel-good show. There are five leading ladies, and each gets her chance to shine amid the earthquakes, sharks, piranhas, tidal waves and other surrounding calamities.

I have enjoyed Rachel York鈥檚 work throughout the years鈥攊ncluding this past summer鈥檚 Bay Street Theater production of Grey Gardens, opposite Tony winner Betty Buckley鈥攂ut in this new musical comedy at the Nederlander Theatre, the former Victor/Victoria star has never been better. Cast as an air-headed lounge singer named Jackie, York has managed to find a speaking voice that perfectly complements her Farrah Fawcett-styled hair and sequined outfits, bringing dazed and confused to a whole new level. York is delivering a flawless performance, landing every joke and high note, and her final entrance, after surviving the evening鈥檚 many catastrophes, is priceless.

Tony winner Faith Prince is also in full comedic mode. Playing Brooklyn-born Shirley, Prince鈥檚 Tourette鈥檚-like outbursts that are sprinkled throughout the second act are hysterical, drawing laugh after laugh from this writer and the entire audience. The Guys and Dolls star also brings much-needed warmth, providing the emotional core of the new musical, and she is ably abetted by Kevin Chamberlin as her loving husband, Maury. In fact, the two charm early in the evening with a touching duet of 鈥漇till the One.鈥欌�� It should also be noted that Prince's Morse code tap routine that precedes the musical's finale is simply a triumph.

Kerry Butler is also in fine form, delivering a memorable turn as a repressed reporter whose relationship with ship waiter Chad (Pascal) is rekindled thanks to the Disaster! around her. Butler鈥檚 voice is as pure and smooth as ever, and she brings those perfect tones to numerous pop classics, including the Helen Reddy anthem 鈥滻 Am Woman.鈥欌�� Lacretta Nicole, who is cast as faded disco queen Levora, brings her own powerhouse vocals to 鈥滲aby Hold on to Me鈥欌�� and a particularly stentorian 鈥滽nock On Wood.鈥欌��

And, then there is Jennifer Simard, who plays a nun with a bad habit (sorry!). Whether she鈥檚 almost-inaudibly singing 鈥淭he Lord鈥檚 Prayer,鈥� demonstrating why she鈥檚 鈥淭orn Between Two Lovers,鈥� belting 鈥漀ever Can Say Goodbye鈥� or strumming her guitar with abandon, Simard finds every possible comedic moment and some you wouldn鈥檛 even have thought possible. It is a scene-stealing performance鈥攅ven if it is opposite a slot machine鈥攐ne that should be remembered at awards time.

So, thank you to Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick for providing so many great talents with the opportunity to strut their formidable 鈥滺ot Stuff.鈥� It is an evening of pure laughter during a much-needed time.

Well, that鈥檚 all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to [email protected].

Senior editor Andrew Gans also pens the weekly Their Favorite Things.