Public Works' PUBLIC RECORD ★★★★★

What a joyous occasion Public Works’ Public Record is, a winning musical celebration of the people who make New York City a one-of-a-kind metropolis. The show begins with soon-retiring Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis stating his belief that “artistry is the property of every human being”, then spends the evening proving it.

The community ensemble is comprised of more than 100 New Yorkers of all ages, from 7 to 84 onstage, with two recently born infants offstage, hailing from all five boroughs. Beyond the chronological, the cast is also gloriously diverse in every conceivable way: culturally, racially, ethnically, sexually, physically, and linguistically. Kander and Ebb’s classic “New York, New York” is even sung in Spanish by a dazzlingly sequined Mireya Ramos, who performs the hometown classic as a smoky torch song.

Almost the entire cast is non-professional, with a few pros scattered throughout, so most performers lack the slick polish one would expect on a Broadway stage. But that’s precisely what makes the production work so gorgeously: authenticity is the star. A sampling:

On birth:

Music Director Michael Thurber: “One time when I was 23 my mom Diane showed me the footage of my actual birth. It made me never want to have children.”

Edgarlys Castañeda: “As a Venezuelan who grew up surrounded by North American culture, every year I watched Home Alone. I fell in love with the idea of Christmas.”

Yizanne McGill: “When I was pregnant when my daughter Zen, I didn’t even realize I was in labor. I actually thought I was doing a number 2.”

On marriage:

Kamal Sabra: “I had so much fun at my wedding I barely remember it. Thankfully I paid lots of money for videography.”

Kyrie Wilson: “The love of my life is my mom and pizza.”

Alexander Ocasio: “I’m committed to my churro lady on Southern Boulevard.”

On death, and how they hope to be remembered:

Emily Garcia-Fantine: “She was the first in her family to talk to her mother and abuelita about mental health. She is survived by a Transformers collection that is ‘more than meets the eye’”

Marcus Young: “He always tried his best with the hand he was dealt, making lemonade out of oranges.”

Gerry Cody: “She didn’t leave a mess behind for her granddaughter and daughter, everything was taken care of.”

Energetic dancing is plentiful amongst the verbal anecdotes, and watching such a large number of people moving together on the Delacorte Theater stage is constantly enthralling. In addition to the big group numbers, Papi Juice and Maya Margarita brought the heat in “After Dark”, and if there’d been a roof, P.U.S.H. Dance Company would have raised it in “What Comes Next”; one could wager that even the Central Park raccoons were rapt as they danced.

Public Works’ Public Record works as well as it does because of the exceptional skills of the creative team. In addition to the aforementioned Thurber, who does a terrific job with the music and leading the live band, writer Lisa Sanaye Dring interviewed all the participants, then artfully shaped their responses into a cohesive, charming whole. And major props to conceivers and directors Dan Canham and Emily Lim, who keep the three-figure cast in constant motion, orchestrating a seemingly endless variety of entrances, exits, and configurations. They’ve corralled this colorful human circus into an evening that is as moving as it is entertaining.