The latest show offered at Classic Stage Company is the revival of the 1962 musical “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” with a book by Jerome Weidman and music and lyrics by Harold Rome. This is only the third revival since it’s run on Broadway featuring Barbra Streisand, with one in 1991 by American Jewish Theatre and one in London at the Arcola Theatre. This revival directed by Trip Cullman takes full advantage of the book revisions done by Mr. Weidman’s son, the well accomplished dramatist, John Weidman. The changes made are significant, by adding and moving musical numbers to be more effective, while also using the saccharin narrative of anti-hero Harry Bogen (a deceiving Santino Fontana) to con the audience along with every other character in the show into believing he is a nice, loving and trustworthy guy. His deception used to further his quest to rise to the top cries out the mantra that money is everything, more than love, friends or family.

The plot revolves around Harry Bogen a young Jewish assistant shipping clerk in the Garment District of New York during the depression years of the 1930s. He needs rent money since he is the breadwinner who lives with and supports his mother (the incomparable Judy Kuhn), so he forms a non-existent scab delivery company during a shipping strike. There the deception begins, but Harry always comes up smelling like a rose. He convinces his two best friends Meyer Bushkin (a sincere Adam Chanler-Berat) and Teddy Asch (a concerned and doubtful Greg Hildreth) to form a dress company, then throws them both under the bus. He courts his old girlfriend Ruthie Rivkin (an endearing Rebecca Naomi Jones) to borrow money, then cheats on her with Martha mills (a forthright Joy Woods) to gain more investment money. When the company goes bankrupt from all the extravagant spending by Harry, he is the only one who survives and ends up on top when a character from the past emerges to make yet another deal.

Director Trip Cullman has assembled an astonishing cast that does a remarkable job at every turn, understanding the revisions, compensating for shortcomings and understanding the depth of each character and what they need to bring to the table for the production to work. Mr. Fontana is a charming anti-hero who makes it difficult not to love, and so easy to despise. It is hard to keep your eyes off Ms. Kuhn as she creates a Jewish mother with every fiber of her being, never wasting a gesture or expression, which communicate volumes. Ms. Jones turns in a stable and honest performance as Ruthie, bewildered but wise, and strong but vulnerable. Ms. Mills delivers a smart and savvy Martha. Mr. Chanler- Berat creates a heartbreaking Meyer, naïve, optimistic and trusting. Then there is Julia Lester who uses every second of her time onstage to captivate the audience, lift them out of their seats, spin them around and drop them right into her lap. She is a dynamo as she creates a new and unforgettable Miss Marmelstein.

The six-member orchestra is great as they double and triple on different instruments, but this show needs a big Broadway orchestra with lush and intricate orchestrations to enhance the complex moods of the varied score. The choreography by Ellenore Scott is at times frantic but also is bound by the cast using a limited amount of space occupied by numerable tables and chairs and performed in dim to dark lighting provided by Adam Honore. The production is not perfect but in a sense is done perfectly in the restraints of this theatre and ranks among one of the best musical offerings this season Off- Broadway. Some may feel this may not be the correct time given the present turmoil throughout the world to present a musical with a Jewish anti-hero who deceives and lies to achieve fortune and power, showing no remorse in the end. But, in the final scene, Harry stands alone, no one by his side, while his family and friends, his community, sit together at a Shabbat table to share their faith and food, which is their good fortune. It is difficult to find a ticket to this wonderful production but grab one. It certainly will be worth it!