Musical Revue Unlike Any Other Opening Thursday At SCC

Beware of the seemingly simple show—a basic set starring 10 actors with remarkable voices wearing simple costumes.

But, as always in show business, there’s a catch. Instead of the routine 14 numbers, there are 29. And if the singers don’t tackle them head-on, the production—“The World Goes ’Round,” with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb—will be a disaster.

“The music’s unforgiving,” director Michael Disher explained last week during a telephone interview. “I like the challenge of the show, because if they do it right, they’re going to establish a whole new standard for musicals out here.”

With no more than four spoken lines, the musical revue—opening Thursday night, October 23, at the Southampton Cultural Center—showcases the work of Kander and Ebb, who are most famously known for Broadway hits “Cabaret” and “Chicago,” the rights to which Mr. Disher has tried to secure over the last 17 years.

“I employed the ‘Shawshank Redemption’ theory: If I started writing annually, they would approve my request. Wrong, wrong, wrong,” he said. “I figured the second-best thing would be a Kander and Ebb show that at least four of the numbers were in. I didn’t necessarily get what I wanted, but I certainly got more than I bargained for.”

The 29 numbers are cleverly pieced together, Mr. Disher explained, weaving a musical tapestry that spans decades of theater history. Aside from smash hits “All That Jazz” and “Class,” there are pieces that some may not know are by Kander and Ebb—including “New York, New York” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

And so, as the curtain falls, Mr. Disher expects to hear the same question over and over again: “They wrote all of that?”

And he said he’ll reply, “Yes, they did. And then some.”

“The World Goes ’Round” will open on Thursday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Performances will continue through November 9 on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, $23 for seniors on Fridays, and $12 for children. For more information, call (631) 287-4377, or visit scc-arts.org.