There were no neon lights, but Broadway shone brightly in Mobile last night with Mobile Opera's presentation of "Bravo Broadway!" starring Michael Maguire, Jan Horvath, Doug LaBrecque and an expanded Mobile Opera Orchestra under the direction of Jerome Shannon.

A nearly full house at the Civic Center Theater enjoyed almost two hours of non-stop Broadway hits from such celebrated composers as Julie Styne, the Gershwins, Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein, as well as more contemporary masters Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim and Marvin Hamlisch.

There were no sets, no costume changes (with the exception of Horvath's three stunning gowns), and just a few props, but the three talented Broadway professionals managed to convey the emotions and the character of each and every song they performed. And the evening runs the gamut of emotions, from the humourous "Broadway Baby" from Sondheim's Follies, to the sentimental "Tonight" from Bernstein's West Side Story, to the all-out, show-stopping, stand-up-and-cheer "All I Ask of You" and "Music of the Night" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera.

The performers, all of whom have top-notch Broadway backgrounds, are relaxed and comfortable with the show, joking around with each other and the audience, tossing in local references for laughs. The "Bravo Broadway!" production is a package show - there are three different sets of star performers doing up to 20 separate productions per month around the country - but it can be modified for each locale. Here, Mobile Opera conductor Jerome Shannon requested the haunting "No One is Alone" from Sondheim's Into the Woods, it was inserted and nicely done.

The show is well-paced, but the biggest moments come after intermission when each artist has an opportunity to shine solo in the spotlight. Maguire has a moving rendition of "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables, LaBrecque's powerful tenor voice fills the theatre with the climactic "This is the Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde and Horvath truly becomes Evita Peron when she sings "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina".

The singers really sell each song, and it's not surprising. They all enjoy the honor of being original cast members of some of Broadway's biggest smash hits. Horvath created the roles of Christine and Carlota in the original cast of Phantom of the Opera, LaBrecque created the role of Gaylord Ravenal in the recent revival of Show Boat, and Maguire created the role of Enjolras in Les Misérables, a performance that was awarded a presitigous Tony Awqard. Maguire was invited back to perform the role in the show's 10th anniversary production at the Royal Albert Hall in England.

A nice thing about this production is the inclusion of the Mobile Opera Orchestra on stage. Usually confined to the pit to be heard but not seen, the orchestra members brought an intense energy to the production, a level of playing not generally required of symphony performers. On Broadway, music wears its heart on its sleeve; emotions are painted in broad strokes, and our local professionals were up to the challenge. Besides providing stellar back up to the singers, the orchestra is featured in three numbers of its own, the Overture from Gypsy, Sondheim's "Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Bernstein's Overture to Candide, performed at break-neck speed with crisp precision.

Mobile audiences are notoriously stingy with ovations, particularly at a week night performance. Standing ovations are rare, and when they occur they are usually mixed in with the "walking" ovations of people hurrying out to the parking lot. But Thursday night's crown honored the performers with a long standing ovation after the Andrew Lloyd Webber numbers, and then sat back down for more music.

"Bravo Broadway" may prove to be one of Mobile Opera's most popular presentations, but let's not forget the 53-year-old company is an opera company, and a darn good one at that. Its next production is the intense two-act opera I Pagliacci in March.

"Bravo Broadway" has one more performance in Mobile tonight at 8 p.m. at the Mobile Civic Center Theater. Tickets are going quickly but should be available at the door.