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The big question about the revival of Pal Joey, which opened last night at Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54, is, of course, has a 1930s Hollywood myth about Broadway and an understudy going on for an injured star come true in this twenty-first century incarnation of a musical set in 1930s Chicago? Sadly the answer isn't an emphatic "yes," but it's not a resounding "no" either. Matthew Risch, who stepped in at the last moment to play Joey Evans, is certainly well on his way to owning this starring role, but as of press performances, he seems a little unsteady on his feet in this production, which features Richard Greenberg's generally satisfying revision to John O'Hara's original book and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's unbeatable score, and which emphasizes the unsavoriness of the world in which Joey works and lives.

Risch certainly is a terrific hoofer and he delivers Graciela Daniele's choreography with aplomb. When he takes to the stage (which in Scott Pask's black, white and gray scenic design is an expressionist's view of the Windy City – curved El tracks, and dingy street lamps) dancing by himself, he commands attention. He's also grand when he joins in with the nimble ensemble of chorus girl cuties with whom Joey works. Additionally, Risch boasts a pleasant crooner's voice, which suits many of Rodgers and Hart's songs well, but what he has yet to discover is that razor-thin line that makes Joey simultaneously loveable and despicable. Joey could very well borrow the classic line from Jessica Rabbit (of "Who Framed..") about folks not knowing whether to punch or kiss her.

As "Joey" continues its run, Risch's performance and his command of the role will most likely becomes stronger, particularly given the brilliance of the three leading ladies with whom he's working. One of them is a star in her own right: Stockard Channing, who's playing Vera Simpson, the unhappily wed socialite who goes slumming at the club where Joey's performing and finds herself "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" (a song which Channing delivers with uncompromising depth of feeling) by the man. Vera even goes so far as to finance a club for Joey to open himself. As Vera, Channing, looking stunning in the period gowns from costume designer William Ivey Long who also does some marvelous tacky showgirl ensembles, channels traits from two of her most famous performances: the bad-girl aloofness of Rizzo (from the movie Grease) and the cool urbanity that masks a much warmer, and fragile, interior of Ouisa Kitredge (from "Six Degrees…)

While theatergoers most likely would have expected Channing to dazzle as Vera, nothing could have prepared them for the two performances that are revelations in "Joey." Martha Plimpton, a mainstay of the New York stage in dramatic roles, makes her debut in a musical here and is simply captivating, visually and vocally. She plays Gladys Bumps, the showgirl with whom Joey shares a troubled past, and who ultimately, sets her sights on destroying him, after he's fired her from his club. Equally impressive is Jenny Fellner, who's been seen in smaller roles on Broadway, but here plays the sweet ingénue who's new to Chicago and who, like Vera, falls for Joey, hard. Fellner has a tremendously appealing grace and naturalness that's matched by a clarion singing voice. Normally, Linda shares in two duets during the course of "Joey." In Greenberg's revision, her role has been expanded and includes two additional numbers – "I Still Believe in You," which comes from Rodgers and Hart's score for Broadway's Simple Simon and "Are You My Love," which the team wrote for the movie Pirate Dancing.

The expansion of Linda's role in the show isn't the only alteration that Greenberg has made to the book for the show. He's streamlined some sections and brought other aspects of the story, only hinted at in O'Hara's original, to the fore. In general, his writing is solid, although it feels as if he may have too much of a contemporary spin to the gayness of Joey's sometimes boss/sometimes employee Mike (Robert Clohessy) and the homophobia this character endures.

Also feeling very modern is director Joe Mantello's heavy-handed take on the seediness of the milieu in which "Joey" lives. Theatergoers sense the dourness that pervades the show as soon as Pask's sets (which are brightened occasionally by a neon sign or two, or by splashes of color in Paul Gallo's lighting design) are revealed, and this gloom continues to be part of almost every moment of the show. Sometimes, for instance during the numbers at the clubs, Mantello's vision succeeds (both comically and dramatically), but at others, it can feel suffocating (a respite from the gloom isn't felt even when the action moves to the posh environs of Vera's Lakeshore Drive residence).

It may be this atmosphere which Risch making it difficult for Risch to find his footing so to speak. Discovering the inescapable charm of a character, who's simply out for number one, is a little rough when one exists in a cutthroat and sometimes airless world in which success, much less happiness, seems almost unattainable. For guidance, Risch should look to his trio of leading ladies. They've not only created characters who are living gracefully within the darkness of this "Joey," but they're also sparkling above it.

---- Andy Propst

Pal Joey plays at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $36.50 - $121.50 and can be purchased by calling 212-719-1300 or by visiting www.roundabouttheatre.org.