I had noticed how unusual she looks as she stood far to stage left among members of the Broadway by the Year Chorus singing “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” (1996). Then lo and behold, in the second act, Boycott stepped forward into her own spotlight to dazzle the crowd with her hilarious rendition of “He Vas My Boyfriend” from “Young Frankenstein” (2007). Boycott is tall and string-bean slim with a curly mop of blond hair and distinctive facial features that she can maneuver into numerous offbeat expressions. With her accented Dietrich-style smoky voice, here styled for comedy, and astute musical timing, she made the immensely entertaining number distinctively her own, and as they say in show business, brought down the house. We should be hearing a lot more from the talented, very different Ms. Boycott. I haven’t experienced that feeling at a show since I watched the early Barbra Streisand emerge as Miss Marmelstein in “I Can Get It For You Wholesale.”

In a production with soaring voices, two of the best numbers used no voices at all—exciting dance routines. Mark Stuart, Executive Artistic Director of the Mark Stuart Dance Theatre, and a member of his company, Mindy Wallace, danced a breathtaking “Libertango” to represent that 1997 show “Forever Tango.” In the number, choreographed by Stuart, the twosome executed one impressive tango movement after another, topped by a quick Wallace drop to the floor that looked scarily dangerous.

The other dance coup was Jimmy Sutherland’s amazing tapping, which he also choreographed, to “Sing Sing Sing,”a number included in the 1999 musical “Swing!” Sutherland’s feet achieved almost unfathomable, high-speed tap beats, but seeing was believing.

As for the various musicals that hit Broadway during the period from which choices had to be made, in general they were not my preferred style of songfests. No Gershwin, Cole Porter or Rodgers and Hammerstein here. Often in these years of Broadway there was the belting stuff, with shrill, sometimes barely, if at all, understandable lyrics. But this musical survey had the right belting singers to do justice to such shows.

Yes, there were Broadway exceptions—Sondheim, for example, although this Sondheim chosen was the very offbeat 2004 show “Assassins,” from which the soaring number ”Unworthy of Your Love,” was stirringly sung by Barrett Foa and Jillian Louis. And there was what was billed as a bonus number, “The Light in the Piazza,” from the sophisticated 2005 show of that title, exquisitely sung in her operatic voice by the lovely Sarah Jane McMahon. Also leaning toward songs depending on taste and clarity were Bobby Steggert’s intimate, “What More Can I Say” from “Falsettos” (1992), Jenn Gambatese’s heartfelt “You Walk With Me” from “The Full Monty” (2000), Terri White’s “Stormy Weather,” the perennial that was part of “After Midnight” (2013) and the Scott Coulter and full company finale “You’ve Got a Friend” from this year’s “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

The hot mama syndrome was excitingly represented by NaTasha Yvette Williams in a number from the 2006 “Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me” called “Stop the Show.” And she certainly did. Gentle amusement surfaced in William Blake’s super-smooth interpretation of “Fever,” one of the songs included in “Million Dollar Quartet” (2010). Rory O’Malley proved a winner with his funny, endearing ”I’m Not That Smart” from “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (2005).

As for the hefty voice category, the pace was creatively and vigorously set by Cheryl Freeman, who was in the original Broadway company of the 1993 “The Who’s Tommy.” With an afro that reached toward The Town Hall ceiling, Freeman cut an impressive figure, which she matched with vocal power and energetic movement as she wowed the crowd with her dynamic rendition of “The Acid Queen.”

Other women in the no-holds barred realm included Morgan James singing “Love Changes Everything” from “Aspects of Love” (1990); Natalie Toro performing “With One Look” from “Sunset Boulevard” (1994); Jeannette Bayardelle with “Fools Fall in Love” from “Smokey Joe’s Café” (1995); Marva Hicks delivering “Circle of Life” from the still-running “The Lion King” (1998), and Christina Aranda singing “Paciencia y Fe” from “In the Heights” (2008).

The men gave as good as the women in the power department, as per Adam Jacobs belting “Why, God, Why?” from “Miss Saigon” (1991); Lucas Steele singing “The Winner Takes It All” from the enduring “Mamma Mia!” (2001); Chad Kimball performing ”Memphis Lives in Me” from “Memphis” (2009); Bob Stillman singing “When She Smiles” from “Lysistrata Jones” (2011); Jack Noseworthy interpreting “One Track Mind” from “The Sweet Smell of Success” (2002), and Jeremy Morse’s “Santa Fe” from “Newsies” (2012).

On hand, of course, was the personable Scott Siegel, creator, writer and host of the “Broadway By the Year” series and producer of other shows, who gave his customary pithy introductions to the performers. He also announced that next season there would be a repeat of the 100 Years of Broadway concept.