Sierra Boggess and Adam Jacobs Photo by Shawn Salley

Designers Anne Mundell (set), Alan C. Edwards (lights), and Shawn Duan (projections) create a moody mix of locations from a unit set composed primarily of stone-made arches, with Siena Zoe Allen and Amanda Roberge's elegant costumes popping out color from the gothic background.

Music director and orchestrator David Hancock Turner frequently achieves a dramatic, traditional Broadway sound from seven musicians, and the beautifully singing company is filled with enough Broadway stars and reliable supporting players that one would think, aside from the prestige of being showcased by a well-respected Off-Broadway company, there is the expectation of a higher-profile production in the future.

And that may come to fruition, despite the unfortunate blandness of most of the musical's material. That's not to say that Monte Cristo is a badly written show. Many will certainly find it enjoyable. But the overall feel is that of a competent, traditionally structured, formulaic operetta style musical drama from the Golden Age that might have run for the better part of a season if it boasted box office draws like Alfred Drake and Edie Adams.

In fact, it's quite reminiscent of the type of show The York would do in their popular Musicals in Mufti series, where they mount concert presentations of rarely revived Broadway fare.

As is often the case with musical adaptations of lengthy novels, the story is condensed and revised a bit. And, in this case, the period drama is occasionally undercut with bits of contemporary-sounding levity.

"After 15 years of conquest, Napoleon is finally defeated and exiled," states a projection that follows a brief prologue involving the serious contemplation of a chess board. Then comes the punch line "He is not happy."

There are lyrics that bring to mind current issues, such as in the opening song, "Dangerous Times," in which the populous warns that "someone is recording how you vote," and to "be careful who you laugh at," because "mocking certain people is a crime."

At the performance I attended, several in the audience applauded a second act lyric proclaiming an independent press as "the best way to skewer dishonesty, corruption, bribery and fraud."

Adam Jacobs, with a robust singing voice, certainly fits the bill as Dumas' modestly heroic and romantic title character, who begins the story as a self-described "simple sailor" who doesn't get involved with politics.

Sierra Boggess, whose crystalline soprano, sincere dramatics and knack for light comedy has propelled her to the ranks of a Gen X Julie Andrews, plays his true love Mercedes. But shortly after she accepts his proposal and they provide glorious vocals to the love duet "You Guide Me Home" ("You shine above me like the sun. / You are the stars that guide my way. / You are the wind that fills my sails. / You are the end of every day."), Edmund is framed as a traitor and spends 18 years in prison, where he is educated in literature, chess, and in the location of a hidden fortune by his cellmate, Abbe Faria (Danny Rutigliano).

A reliable clown, Rutigliano doubles as a frequently inebriated innkeeper, who drinks to endure the harassing of his wisecracking wife, played by beloved musical comedy song-and-dance trooper Karen Ziemba. She does as well as anyone can with not the funniest of material. Rutigliano, however, earns numerous laughs by looking exasperated.

After escaping from prison, finding the fortune, and reinventing himself as The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmund seeks out both his love and his revenge. But Mercedes, thinking Edmund was dead, has married her cousin Fernand (Daniel Yearwood), unaware he helped plot Edmund's imprisonment in order to dispose of a romantic rival. They have a son (Jason Lopez) who, if you do the math...

Norm Lewis, one of the most gloriously voiced and dramatically adept singing actors in contemporary musical theatre, has a small role as the guilt-ridden royal prosecutor who knew Edmond was innocent, and opens the second act with a solo expressing his inner turmoil.

Though director Peter Flynn keeps the musical chugging at an entertaining pace, there is a curious lack of adventure written into this adventure story. For one thing, even though a sword is featured prominently in the show's logo, there isn't much swordplay involved. In fact, when confronting those who have wronged him, Edmund turns out to be quite the pacifist.

And while being merciful is certainly a worthy human virtue, it doesn't, at least in this case, make for much of a theatrical climax.