For theater veteran Jim Hutchison, "The Musical of Musicals — the Musical" is a kind of a portal to his past: He's performed in or helmed a cluster of the tunesmiths parodied — and seen the shows of the one he hasn't yet embraced.

With tongues somewhat in cheek, Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell created "Musical" in the spirit of iconic musicals spawned by an elite and prolific assembly of gents who have shaped the theatrical landscape.

"You can have fun, even if you haven't seen one of the (composers') shows, but you get a lot more of the humor if you've seen the shows," said Hutchison, who directs "Musical," which opened Wednesday at Manoa Valley Theatre.

"Musical" is a pastiche of familiar sounds by seasoned pros. "Corn!" unhusks Rodgers and Hammerstein; "A Little Complex" word-plays through the think tank of Stephen Sondheim; "Dear Abby!" says hello to the dallying optimism of Jerry Herman; "Aspects of Junita" goes over the top in the realm of Andrew Lloyd Webber; and "Speakeasy" maintains, Kander and Ebb style, that life is a cabaret.

We asked Hutchison Five Questions:

How did you land this show?

"(MVT producing director) Dwight (Martin) invited me. He needed an old-timer who's been there, done that."

With a history with the productions, what kind of flashbacks did you have?

"Every time we rehearsed, I was struck by something different each time; but we hit the nail on the head sometimes — and it brought back memories."

You've assembled a versatile cast; how did you maneuver the rehearsals?

"It's a wonderful cast; we've been in pretty good shape. I reversed the order of the shows, just to keep them on their toes, and watched what happened each night. We talked about certain lines (in the script), and discussed where they came from. In the Sondheim thing, the hero walks in — 'trying to make some pretty specific overtures.' Those that didn't get it ... I had to explain 'Pacific Overtures.' "

Which composer, do you think, gets the biggest jabs?

"I think most shots are at Lloyd Webber; he's open to them, I guess. I've not done his musicals, though I've seen some. All of this is done with a sense of respect, however; though I don't think the composers (of 'Musicals') had to wait (or include) Lloyd Webber. I'm not sure many people will get 'Aspects of Love,' since it didn't run that long."

With whom do you most associate?

"I guess Sondheim, Herman and Kander-Ebb; their shows all were being done while I was working in theater." (And for the record, Hutchison appears in Herman's "Hello, Dolly!" film and can be seen in that dancing waiter scene.)

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.