Best known to a certain generation as Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride” on the big screen, and to another as Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on the TV series “Chicago Hope,” for which he won an Emmy, it was Mandy Patinkin’s Broadway pedigree that rang out at the Napa Valley Opera House on Friday night.

On a stage sparsely decorated with a few props and a piano, Patinkin roamed — and at times roared — through some of the best of musical theater, in partnership with his pianist since 1984, Paul Ford, whom Patinkin called “the best part of my life, other than my wife and kids.”

With humor and warmth, he found songs that perfectly fit a favorite memory for members of the audience. For others, it may have been “You Have to be Carefully Taught” from “South Pacific” or “Cat’s in the Cradle” that touched a heartstring. For me, that song was “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”

The show started off with a cheeky laugh. As the first notes of Patinkin’s caramel-sweet voice rang out, something else rang: a cell phone. Patinkin’s face became grave and the theater was silent save for a muttered suggestion that the guilty party be taught a painful lesson. That is, until Patinkin himself reached into his pocket and produced the offending item and the audience roared as he held a quick conversation, and said he’d call back later.

Patinkin is a warbler. His voice dances, like a plate spinning high on a stick, growing wobbly, yet never out of control. He plays with this quality and at times his voice becomes acrobatic, as in “When the Red Red Robin Goes Bob Bob Bobbing Along.” At other times, as in “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables,” it’s a ribbon of vocal chocolate.

His voice is not his only instrument. During an ode to the days of silent film, Patinkin channeled Charlie Chaplin and later he stepped into the role of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and, delightfully, a tail-swishing Cowardly Lion for “If I Only Had a Brain” from “The Wizard of Oz.” He proved to be a rabble-rouser, getting the audience whipped to a happy froth after demanding they participated in “Ya Got Trouble,” from “The Music Man” and the title song from “Oklahoma!”

He’s a storyteller too, sharing his love of family — nuclear, extended and professional — and making you want to be a part of the Patinkin clan, too. His father’s obsession with “Mame,” and Angela Lansbury in the title role, struck a deep chord.

That chord, in fact, was my only disappointment of the show. Patinkin will always be Che to me. Growing up, “Evita” was the soundtrack to long car rides on family vacations. Patinkin made his Broadway debut in 1980 in the role — and won a Tony Award for it. My ear strained at the beginning of each song to hear Che. No such luck. But, don’t cry for me, Napa Valley, it was still a great show.