The Plaza Theatre’s new musical revue, Irving Berlin Salutes America, has its roots in a smaller cabaret show that producer Alan Jacobson created a decade ago as a response to the 9/11 attacks.

“Irving Berlin, as Jerome Kern said, is American music,” explains Jacobson of the Russian-born composer-lyricist. “So I wanted to create a show that has an element of patriotism, because of what Irving Berlin meant to America.”

The Manalapan company’s revue features Plaza regulars Melissa Boher-Jacobson and Missy McArdle, as well as John Lariviere and Jon Zimmerman. In addition to patriotic numbers, the show has sections on New York, songs about Army life and tunes from Berlin’s most popular musical, Annie Get Your Gun.

Of course, many of Berlin’s biggest hits are included — Jacobson reels off such showstoppers as Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Always, Cheek to Cheek, Stepping Out with My Baby and This is the Army, Mr. Jones — plus a few less well-known compositions.

If audiences respond like they did ten years ago, Jacobson says they will be on their feet by the final patriotic medley. He reached back to revive his Berlin show, in part, because “based on the divisiveness that’s grown in the country, between the parties, in my little way I wanted to instill some patriotism and unity again.” If he succeeds, maybe he deserves a peace prize.

Plaza postpones Normal … Like most of his theater’s selections, Jacobson is striking a nostalgic chord with the Berlin revue. But one show in his schedule was decidedly different, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical Next to Normal, about a family trying to cope with the mother’s bipolar mental condition. It would never be confused with, say, Call Me Madam.

Jacobson viewed the show as a way to attract a younger, hipper audience, but he has now scratched it from his spring line-up and substituted a more conventional choice — Neil Simon’s bittersweet comedy, Chapter Two.

“I just had to make a difficult decision to postpone it,” says Jacobson. “I don’t believe my audience is ready for it. But as I told the publishers, I’m still looking to do it, possibly the following year.”

Season Two of Arts Garage … Lou Tyrrell, artistic director of The Theatre at Arts Garage in downtown Delray Beach, expected to announce his new season by now, but at the last minute one of his selections was optioned for New York instead. Imagine, South Florida has a hard time competing with The Big Apple.

Nevertheless, Tyrrell emphasizes that he will definitely be offering a season of new works at the Arts Garage. It will include three full productions, beginning in December, plus readings of as many as six new scripts — one a month on Tuesday evenings — to test their stage worthiness for future production.

Like his first season in Delray, after 24 years helming Florida Stage in various locations in the county, the shows are expected to have small casts and minimal production values. “It doesn’t have to be big production. People want to come to an intimate environment that’s casual and still be transformed by theater. People want an intimate cultural experience,” says Tyrrell. “That’s why I think Arts garage is the model for the future. At least my future.”

Tickets are expected to run from $40 for premium front row tables to $30 for theater style seats in the rear. Call (561) 450-6357 for more information.