Every song in Jerry’s Girls is a gem whose brilliance is enhanced by a sparkling performance in the current production at the New Jewish Theatre.

The show is a tribute to the remarkable artistry of Jerry Herman, who wrote both the music and the lyrics for twelve Broadway musicals. Together, they earned five Tony Award nominations for both best musical and best original score. Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles won both awards.

These two hits and Mame, which all ran for more than 1,500 consecutive performances on Broadway, provide bout half the material in Jerry’s Girls. The familiar songs are a joy to hear again, but the songs from other shows are just as welcome. The lesser-known works confirm that Herman was master of his craft with deep empathy for women.

Most of the unfamiliar songs come from Mack & Mabel, about the romance between movie director Mack Sennett and movie star Mabel Normand. The other shows represented are A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Dear World, Milk and Honey, and Parade (an Off-Broadway show from 1960).

The New Jewish Theatre’s production features five wonderful performers:

• Kelsey Bearman
• Molly Burris
• Christina Rios
• Greta Rosenstock
• Lisa Rosenstock

I say performers rather than singers because impactful movement is as key to this production as beautiful singing. Director and choreographer Ellen Isom has lavished unstinting attention on every number. Some interpretations are exactly what one would want to see in the original show. Others repurpose the material in clever ways that always work.

I am not singling any of the performances because I don’t want to suggest that some are more deserving of praise than the others. The hallmark of this production is the consistency of its excellence.

The show looks and sounds great thanks to music director Cullen Curth’s pianism, Cameron Tesson’s scenic design, Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes, David LaRose’s lighting, Amanda Werre’s sound, and Katie Orr’s props.

Jerry’s Girls continues through December 18 at the Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. Showtimes are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

—Gerry KowarskyPhoto by Jon Gitchoff
From left, Kelsey Bearman, Lisa Rosenstock, Greta Rosenstock, Molly Burris, and Christina Rios in Jerry’s Girls.