When Rex Reed thinks of the George Gershwin musical My One and Only he goes ga-ga.

"A star-spangled fireworks display of music, dancing and heart stopping joy,' Reed wrote in a review of the show,". . .I've never loved anything more,"

Never? Wow, that 'S'Wonderful'.

On Friday My One and Only will be presented at Eisenhower Auditorium at 8 p.m. The musical is a revival of George and Ira Gershwin's 1927 musical Funny Face starring Fred Astaire.

In 1981, director Peter Sellars re-worked the show for Broadway with a new script but much of the original score. Director and choreographer Tommy Tune and 60s British model Twiggy were chosen as the two leads. Problems evolved when Sellars decided further and riskier changes were needed and the Broadway producers disagreed. Sellars was fired and Tune danced in as chief stager and co-choreographer.

With Tune in control, a completely new version written by Peter Stone was created. Directors Mike Nichols and Michael Bennet were added in 1983 and the show was nominated for nine Tony Awards. It is now in the form of a national tour full of fresh faces. You might want to catch it before it metamorphisizes into yet another version.

The show revolves around the old boy meets-loses-gets girl story. Captain Billy Buck Chandler is a barnstorming Texas pilot who dreams of being the first American to fly non-stop to Paris. Enroute he falls in love with Edith Herbert, the famous and, of course, stunning English Channel swimmer who has a jealous manager, a nutso Russian prince. Other wacky characters include a bogus bishop, a love-struck female mechanic and a fairy godfather.

Jorge Abreu, who plays the phony bishop, the Reverend J.D. Montgomery, was contacted for a telephone interview.

"My character is a reverend who also manages a speakeasy on the side," said Abreu. "My primary job is to give the boy advice on how to get the girl."

Abreu said that the group started touring in early January.

"This is only the second week and we've been getting really good reviews," he said.

After Penn State, the group will hit other areas on the East coast and then head West. Abreu, who graduated from New York University with a BFA in Theater said that this is his first tour and he doesn't know what to expect. But from the words of a starving artist, "I'm really glad to be working," Abreu said.

Abreu has had the desire to act, sing and dance his heart away since Junior High.

"Once I went to see this show and there was another black male up on stage. I thought 'I can do that better than he can!"

Songs that will be highlighted in the show are Gershwin favorites such as "Strike Up the Band," "S'Wonderful," "How Long Has This Been Going On," "He Loves and She Loves," and "Nice Work If You Can Get It."

Ticket prices are $18, $16 and $14 for general admission and $14, $12 and $10 for students. Tickets can be ordered at the Eisenhower Box Office 863-0255, or the Playhouse Box Office 865-1884.