Taking her cue from the famous "wah-wah" trumpet solo that begins "All That Jazz," Bebe Neuwirth immediately strutted her stuff in a white beaded ultra mini-dress and high-heeled sandals, all the more to show off her terrific bare legs (or "gams" when they look that good) at Heinz Hall last night.

The Tony Award-winning Broadway actress (or Lilith from "Cheers" to most) was taking an edgy plunge on the usually candy-coated PNC Pittsburgh Symphony Pops series -- a program dedicated to the music of Broadway team John Kander and Fred Ebb and their inspiration, German-born composer Kurt Weill.

This was serious stuff, music born of the dark edges of the human soul, comical lyrics with a definite bite, a swooning atmosphere that bordered on the surreal.

Neuwirth's program could be called a New York-style cabaret act, the kind that feeds off intimacy, with just the aid of a piano player. Only the PSO Pops orchestra, slightly truncated in the strings but still lush and brassy when it needed to be, was along for this ride. Neuwirth brought along a core of musicians, including Scott Cady on keyboard, David Ratajczak on drums, and conductor Leslie Stifelman so exuberant that she appeared to dance more than Neuwirth herself.

Nonetheless Neuwirth was still the quintessential Bob Fosse performer with that classic knock-kneed stance and loopy fingers, accented by an occasional hip thrust and a mysterious Mona Lisa smile.

Much of the program centered on two Fosse milestones, "Chicago" and "Cabaret." Neuwirth won her second Tony for playing Velma in "Chicago," but she showed her versatility by switching gears to do "Roxie," a role that she has more recently performed, one that alluded to the warbling voice of the original Fosse inspiration, Gwen Verdon.

Oddly enough, the petite Broadway diva seemed more comfortable in the second half, where a trio of "Cabaret" songs put the focus on a pre-war Berlin that was particularly conducive to the Weill repertoire.

Now clad in a tight black sheath, Neuwirth was no less than brilliant as she described a beer hall in Weill's "Bilbao," poignantly reminiscing as she took the audience back in time, and "Surabaya" had a genuine pathos to it.

Although the songs shared a somewhat austere look at the world, this was ultimately smart, sassy and sexy entertainment, the kind that pays off with a real satisfaction.

The program will be repeated tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Call 412-392-4900.