Edition: U.S. / Global

THEATER IN REVIEW; 'Magic Hands Freddy'

Published: March 5, 2004

SoHo Playhouse

15 Vandam Street

South Village

Admirable performances abound in Arje Shaw's ''Magic Hands Freddy,'' but the best of all is that of Michael Rispoli in the title role.

Followers of ''The Sopranos'' on HBO remember Mr. Rispoli as Jackie Aprile, the acting boss of a gangland family who died of cancer a few years ago. In ''Magic Hands Freddy,'' as in ''The Sopranos,'' Italy colors the culture, family is central and love, trust and betrayal swirl through the telling.

But this is no gangster story. As the rough-hewn Freddy, whose magic hands can exorcise others' pain, Mr. Rispoli is on a journey that furnishes him an opportunity to portray a devoted brother, an eager suitor, a frustrated husband, a loving father, a working stiff and a heart and soul open to the deepest wounds and the most exalted possibilities of art and life. Charming, funny, anguished and touching, he is equal to the demanding task.

He is ably abetted by Ralph Macchio (star of the ''Karate Kid'' films) as Calvin DiGaetano, the younger brother Freddy rescued from a foster home and toiled to see educated, first as a veterinarian and then as an art scholar; Antoinette LaVecchia as Maria, who captivates the DiGaetano brothers on a trip to Italy; and Ed Chemaly in an assortment of roles, most notably as Freddy's funny customer and friend, Sal the undertaker.

This production reunites Mr. Shaw with Rebecca Taylor, who staged his potent Holocaust drama, ''The Gathering,'' starring Theodore Bikel and presented by the Jewish Repertory Theater in 1999. Like ''The Gathering,'' ''Magic Hands Freddy'' is not perfect, though it is engrossing. The decade-long maintenance of the story's festering central secret, an essential plot device, radiates an unlikelihood that taxes credulity. But the talented cast, Mr. Shaw's ability to write engaging scenes that illuminate love and loss, and Ms. Taylor's ability to mine their emotion and humor do much to mask that defect.

The story is never less than engaging, but ''Magic Hands Freddy'' is to be savored primarily for the uniform excellence of its acting, and to single out Mr. Rispoli is by no means to diminish the feats of his colleagues. LAWRENCE VAN GELDER

Photo: From left, Ralph Macchio, Ed Chemaly, Michael Rispoli and Antoinette LaVecchia in ''Magic Hands Freddy.'' (Photo by Carol Rosegg)