It is the Kander and Ebb achievement that New York City Center Encores! lovingly gave us (May 7-10, 2015), affording a fresh opportunity to judge their work in this elaborate concert adaptation by John Weidman, closer to a full-scale production. It is very impressive how Kander managed to tap in musically to Greek-oriented folk style, his score and Ebb’s lyrics creating authenticity to the story and the required Greek atmosphere.

With Anna Louizos as scenic consultant, the visual tone was set at the outset. A large tree of the kind one would see on Crete, scene of the action, plus a cross marking a grave on a hill in the background, combined to cleverly suggest the locale, even with The Encores! Orchestra under the musical direction of Rob Berman in full view as it did justice to Kander’s music. Josh Rhodes’s choreography didn’t go for clichés but attempted a fresh vision of Greek dancing, and director Walter Bobbie succeeded in making the tale flow easily without punching it up with excess.

All of which brings us to the cast. John Turturro played Zorba, the larger than life Greek who strikes up a friendship with Niko (a sympathetic Santino Fontana), who has inherited a mine and learns from the controling Zorba how to come out from his shell and try to live life at its fullest. Turturro was saddled with the memory of Quinn, but while he lacks the physical dynamic of Quinn, he is a superb actor and he gave a colorful, profound, entertaining and moving rendition of the role, which he made thoroughly his own as he dominated the show the way in which the character is supposed to do.

(Herschel Bernardi, who played both Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Zorba, once quipped that his career consisted of two motions, extending his arms upward and snapping his fingers (Tevye) as he danced, and as Zorba arms downward and snapping his fingers.)

There were also other attractions in the casting. Marin Mazzie, strong of voice and stature, brought power to the role of The Leader, who frames the story with narrative in song and backing by island folk as a chorus. A sure show-stealer was Zoë Wanamaker as Hortense, the amusingly pretentious French landlady who lives on her flaunted memories of youthful romances and who falls for the charms of Zorba even though he has no intention of marrying her. Whether acting or singing “Only Love” and “Happy Birthday,” Wanamaker brought out the spirit and tragedy of her character to great satisfaction.

Elizabeth A. Davis played The Widow, whom Niko comes to love but who becomes the object of vicious cruelty, with Zorba unable to save her. Among the show’s production highlights was the nutty number “No Boom Boom,” featuring the four admirals Hotense boasts of in her romantic past. We were also treated to a fabulously sexy belly dance by Sultana Taj, who set Zorba’s ever-ready libido aflame with her sensual movements and quivering in a night spot. I’d love to watch her in action again.