With a title like “Hands on a Hard Body” and a huge Texas flag dominating the set at opening, you might be inclined to expect a musical comedy filled with sex.

You’d be surprised, but not, I daresay, disappointed.

“Hands on a Hard Body,” currently playing at The Barn Theater in Augusta, is actually family-friendly and while it has its funny moments, it is far more of a human-interest drama than a comedy. While there are characters that seem like stereotypes in the beginning, none of them are treated stereotypically or used just for comic effect. All are real and have real issues and sometimes heart-rending stories.

The premise is that a Nissan car dealership in Texas holds an annual “Hands on a Hard Body” contest—a story based off a real contest. The contestants have to put their hands on a truck, and the last person to let go, wins the truck. They get a 15-minute break every six hours, but otherwise they aren’t allowed to sit, lean or crouch while holding onto the truck.

Now this may sound like a challenging musical to pull off without being visually dull. It surely was a challenge, but Director Hans Friedrichs and Choreographer Jamey Grisham were up to the task, with an assist from Set Designer Shy Iverson. A shiny red pickup truck is revealed once the Texas flag is pulled away, and it’s been put on wheels so that it can rotate during the show. One of the rules of the contest is that contestants must wear white gloves while touching the truck and this makes for a lot of good visual choreography that would make Bob Fosse proud.

Friedrichs finds ways to move the actors around the truck and Grisham gets them dancing even while keeping their hands on the truck most of the time. The actors take to the challenge well. They move smoothly around the truck and caress it lovingly as they do so.

The stories are what make the musical so compelling, though the music, directed by Matt Shabala, is also enjoyable and as diverse as the contestants themselves. There are love ballads, gospel songs, solos, duets and ensemble pieces. And there are a lot of good voices in the cast to carry all of the music.

Rex Smith is the guest artist who comes in to play J.D. Drew with Penelope Alex in a supporting role as his long-suffering wife who worries over him. Smith shows his acting is as good as his internationally platinum-selling recording career has proven his singing to be. J.D.’s got a stiff leg and seems least likely to win this contest. Smith finds all the physical and emotional vulnerability of the character and really soars with the duets with Alex.

Some of the most emotional moments come with Benny Perkins, played by Eric Parker. They work especially well because of the character Parker establishes throughout the play, not one that is necessarily sympathetic, but one that stands out because of his hardness and competitiveness.

Dani Apple’s Norma Valverde is charming and loveable. She plays a highly religious, charismatic woman (charismatic in the theological sense, though also in the more general sense of the word). She’s got her music, her prayer chain and her faith. And Apple makes her completely sympathetic.

The rest of the ensemble is also strong and each brings something different to the table in terms of the story and the themes. The musical deals with racism, immigration, war, drugs, unemployment, college costs and the changing stages of relationships. Yet, it never gets too heavy.

Most of the contestants are down on their luck in one way or another and that is part of what makes this story so strong. They are people that audiences can relate to, especially in Michigan where the recession hit hard. It has echoes of “The Full Monty” but without the stripping.

“Hands on a Hard Body” has a lot to recommend it: the music, the dancing, the story, but most of all the characters. They are real people with real struggles and they’re looking for a chance to make a dream come true in the form of a $22,000 truck.

Run time: 8:06 to 10:45 with one intermission.