First off, let’s get this out of the way: It is pointless to debate the relative merits of performing a Broadway revival at City Opera. So I will deal with Tuesday night’s premiere of “The Most Happy Fella” on its own terms.

I remember the original “Fella” very well. Written by Frank Loesser, it was a pioneer in the ice age of television product placement, receiving a plug on “I Love Lucy” in 1957. In fact, Fred Mertz’s joke that the title character must not be married – he is, after all, “the most happy fella” – hits very close to the nexus of the work.

What made the original 1956 production “operatic” was that it featured virtually continuous singing – some of it in Italian – and that it starred Robert Weede, a baritone whose strongest claim to fame is that he once sang Scarpia to the Tosca of Maria Callas in Mexico. Fifty years on, Tuesday’s performance at the New York State Theater was a world premiere of sorts, since Loesser was forced to cut the show before it ever made it out of previews, and this new production restores that excised material. Overall, the company did a bang-up job – with the notable exception of Paul Sorvino in the lead role.

I once heard the plot related as “The Postman Always Rings Twice” without the dark side.That’s an apt description for a story about a love triangle in rural California, in which the central theme is May-December romance.

Funny thing about “Fella”: All the good tunes are given to the most minor of characters. There was one legitimate hit that survived the run, and it was performed superbly this night by a quartet of cowpokes – John Scherer, Matt Bailey, Paul Castree, and Ryan Silverman. “Standing on the Corner” is an American classic and was a fixture in the mid-’50s on shows such as “Your Hit Parade.”

The song depends for its kick on the reprise being just a little more rhythmic than the original – it swings a bit more. For this current performance, the foursome, who engagingly emphasized the harmony of the piece, stood basically motionless until one beat before this repetition began. Then they each raised one foot, leaned a little to the opposite side, and took off for some fine, old-fashioned hoofing.

The choreographer is Peggy Hickey, who produced last season’s best choreography at City Opera, in Puccini’s “La Rondine.” Here again, she’s just terrific. In fact, she is one of the rare choreographers who actually listen to the music.

The big number, titled “Big D,” is led by another supporting player, the sidekick Cleo. Played to perfection by Broadway veteran Leah Hocking, this was a swirling and high-energy dance extravaganza out in the grape fields that was tremendously exciting and seemed somehow in Technicolor compared to the rest of the piece.Trust me, this set piece can stay with you for a half-century. Part of this phenomenon might have been the design of Michael Anania, who did a yeomanlike job of bringing the outdoors in throughout the evening. Mr. Scherer dazzled with his ability to tap dance in cowboy boots.

Lisa Vroman was a good Rosabella, the leading lady whose music is uncompromisingly forgettable.A cog in the Andrew Lloyd Webber machine for some years, Ms.Vroman poured her heart and skills into such vapid numbers as “Don’t Cry” and “Somebody Somewhere.”You have to admire her zeal.

Karen Murphy as Marie was less interesting and often out of tune. Ivan Hernandez as Joe, the John Garfield character, if you will, was the find of the evening. He has a smooth combination of looks and poise and a good instrument with which to work.

But the show begins and ends with Mr. Sorvino. If Weede had a voice too large for the original production, then Mr. Sorvino has one much too small. He was so out of his league that it was embarrassing. I had a good time, but if you really want to be a happy fella, then try to catch the show on a night when the star is off.

“The Most Happy Fella” will be performed again March 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23 & 25 at the New York State Theater (Lincoln Center, 212-870-5570).