MARINE CITY, Mich. – It would not be an exaggeration to say that many—most—musical comedies are based on a formula that includes young love, mischievous plots to facilitate or foil said love, miscommunication, mistaken identities, break-ups, make-ups, etc. So why doesn’t that formula ever get old? Because it works (just about) every time.

The Drowsy Chaperone, currently playing at the Riverbank Theatre in Marine City, is a musical comedy that pokes fun at musical comedies to remind us why we love musical comedies. It opens with a narrator known as Man in Chair, sitting in an apartment decorated with Broadway posters and playbills, reminiscing about his love of old-time musicals. He shows off his album collection and chooses his favorite, a musical from the 1920s called The Drowsy Chaperone, to play on his Gramophone for the audience. As we would expect of any super fan, he pauses the album now and then to explain everything about the show: the plot, the characters, the cast.

Thus, we are treated to a story within a story about a famous starlet Janet, who is leaving show business to marry her love Robert; Janet’s scheming producer Mr. Feldzeig who tries to stop the wedding; the ditzy performer Kitty who wants to replace Janet as the new star; two gangsters masquerading as pastry chefs whose job is to keep Janet on the stage; Janet’s vodka-loving and ineffective chaperone; a dashing European playboy whose name is definitely Aldolpho; the oblivious hostess Mrs. Tottendale, who is assisted in the wedding planning by Robert’s friend George and a stoic Underling; a building superintendent with terrible timing; and an aviatrix who saves the day.

Each character has quirks that are spot-on, not in spite of but because of their farcical and stereotypical nature. For example, the statuesque Janet (Amanda Rae Evans) continually strikes beauty poses while delivering melodramatic lines; she tries to convince everyone that she truly desires to leave show business for love (“Show Off”), but hogs the limelight by showing off every popular talent of the day. How The Chaperone (Katherine Guc) got that job is anybody’s guess, her focus being solely on stroking her own entertainer’s ego, appearing in glittered gowns that upstage everyone else, and finding her next drink (“As We Stumble Along”). Her ego is matched only by Aldolpho (Aaron Dennis Smith), who refuses to seduce a woman (in this case, the wrong woman) until he’s certain she knows which name to cry out in passion (“I Am Aldolpho”).

Gangsters #1 and #2 (Joey Carrier and Grayson Kennedy) use an endless supply of pastry puns (“Toledo Surprise”) to convince Feldzeig (Gary Gray) it is in his best interest to keep Janet as the star of his show. Feldzeig’s plan doesn’t work out, but the alternative is to replace Janet with Kitty (Brittany Smith), who certainly has enough talent to be a star, if only she would keep from saying . . . well, anything. Robert (Luke Bove) is so love-struck that he lets George (Aaron Buckley), the worst wedding planner ever, convince him that roller-skating with a blindfold is the safest way to pass the time until the nuptials (“Cold Feets”). Mrs. Tottendale (Kristy Kreidler) proves that a terrible memory can be mitigated by a capable Underling (Randy Skotarczyk) (“Fancy Dress”); the pair also proves that one of the most critical comedic skills is keeping a straight face when everyone else is laughing.

Mix-ups ensue, of course, and disaster seems imminent, with the gangsters warning “You’re in truffle now, and there’s muffin you can do about it.” But the wedding day is saved (“I Do, I Do in the Sky”) by the perfectly timed arrival of Trix (Anita Newby); the day is also saved for Man in Chair when his building Superintendent (Matt Siadak), a surprising fan of musicals himself, turns the power back on just in time for the final few notes of the finale.

Throughout the show, we are treated to the commentary of Man in Chair (Jeffery Pedue), who draws some humorous and unexpected parallels between the musical and real life. His insights about the fictional musical The Drowsy Chaperone highlight what we all love about musicals: the ludicrous lyrics written for the sake of a rhyme; the improbable plot woven as an afterthought to the musical numbers; the larger than life performers we love to sing along with and adore from afar. Most importantly, he points out that The Drowsy Chaperone “does what a musical is supposed to do: help you face the dreary horrors of the real world.” If that doesn’t sum up why we fall for the same formula again and again, I don’t know what does.

Even though Man in Chair admits he has never seen The Drowsy Chaperone (the album was the favorite of his late mother), we are left with the feeling that his own personal version of heaven would be to meet the characters and be included in their final number. If we could write our own endings, wouldn’t they look something like a musical finale?

The Drowsy Chaperone, directed by Aaron Dennis Smith, is superbly cast with actors who fall naturally into their farcically formulaic roles. Vocals (directed by Anita Newby) are strong throughout, highlighted by Aaron Dennis Smith as the suave Aldolpho, Luke Bove as the starry-eyed Robert, Amanda Rae Evans as superstar Janet, and Katherine Guc as perennial performer The Chaperone. There is no offensive language, and the humor is mild enough to satisfy young teens through adults. Live orchestra music is always satisfying. Although the music seemed a bit too loud for the dialogue and lyrics at the beginning, the problem was corrected by mid-show. Choreography (by Brittany Smith) is fun and engaging, especially the tap duet performed by Luke Bove and Aaron Buckley, and the infectious, full-cast Charleston moves in “Toledo Surprise.” Costumes (by Michael Gravame and Kathy Vertin) are outstanding: everything from swimsuits and wing-tip spectator shoes to beaded dresses and headpieces evoke the 1920s.

Whether you are drawn to a show by the story, the acting, the humor, the singing or the message, there is a whole lot to like about this production and very little to dissuade. Head to the Riverbank Theatre and enjoy The Drowsy Chaperone, which runs through September 25, 2016.

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