So, tell me. Why is it that when a man gets up on stage in a dress people automatically think that it's funny? Is it because the man can't look like a woman, no matter how good the make-up, the false eyelashes, the padding? Is it because men inevitably look clumsy in high heels? Or is it the legs that give him away?

I guess that it doesn't matter why; the only thing that matters is that the gag works every time. Still, it's a pretty flimsy excuse to get audiences to come and hear some fun songs, terrifically sung.

The Cast Of "The Andrews Brothers"

"The Andrews Brothers," now playing through November 8 at the Welk Resorts Theatre, could have been a nifty revue that recreated a late World War II USO show, the kind that typically featured a well-known act, a lesser-known but beautiful starlet, and lots of gags aimed expressly at military guys looking for a morale boost before heading out to fight. But author Roger Bean has opted to create a jukebox musical instead, and that means a story.

The story is a pretty simple one and doesn't always make great sense. Peggy, the starlet (Bets Malone), has arrived ahead of the main company for a USO show. A trio of stagehands who happen to be brothers have been working on an act to audition for the head of the USO when he arrives, but they also agree to fill in as backup for Peggy, who they consider to be quite a looker. The three Andrews Brothers, Lawrence (Stan Chandler, though Johnny Bisom takes over the role on September 22), Max (David Engel), and Patrick (Larry Raben), turn out to be expertly blended as a trio. Peggy takes a particular shine to Patrick, the shy one, and the other brothers back off when they see that she's made her choice.

While the group is rehearsing, word comes from headquarters that the show is being canceled because a member of the headline act, The Andrews Sisters, has come down with chicken pox and the whole group has been quarantined. Peggy comes up with an idea to save the show and give everyone a chance to be in the spotlight. Of course, Peggy's plan calls for the Andrews Brothers to dress up as the headliners while she tells the audience that the group is going to perform despite having all come down simultaneously with laryngitis.

Act 2 is the show, and it seems to be a faithful recreation of what might have been a typical World War II USO performance (newsreels from the period, which are shown before the show begins and at intermission, help to set the proper tone for the musical content and style of the show). Lawrence, Max, and Patrick, who have now become La Verne, Maxine, and Patty, are unsteady on their heels at first (but soon are tapping expertly in them!), and the fact that the cast has to double as stagehands causes several humorously embarrassing moments. But, in the end the audience (both imagined and real) loves the performance, even when the Andrews Brothers appear as themselves, and all is well by the final curtain.

While there is little dramatic tension (will Patrick overcome his shyness, will the brothers be able to pull off the impersonation, will the show keep going despite confusion backstage--all of which are questions to which the audience already knows the answer), "The Andrews Brothers" succeeds due to the charm of the four performers and the creativity of the musical staging. Each of the performers have fine solo voices (and the guys all have great legs), but they also create a superb blend together. It helps that the men have all appeared at one time or another in "Forever Plaid," a musical about a guy group that charmed audiences throughout the 1990s, and Ms. Malone recently returned from the off-Broadway production of "The Marvelous Wondrettes," a piece about a girl group that was also written by Mr. Bean.

And, the direction and choreography, by Nick DeGruccio and Roger Castellano, who also staged the award-winning version of "The Andrews Brothers" that played at Musical Theatre West in Los Angeles in 2008, is consistently inventive and a delightful visual companion to the fine-sounding music. At one point, the cast needs a couple of people to round out a number and recruits two audience members to help out. The two who came up on stage on opening night immediately got into the fun and became a highlight of the show themselves. The sets, costumes, and lighting (by Ryan Seybert, Debbie Roberts, with Carlotta Malone, and Jennifer Edwards-Northover, respectively) were colorful and provided a few cute surprises, and while Patrick Hoyny's sound design had several glitches evident (Ms. Malone lost her headset mic at one point and just came out and belted over the amplified band), it seems sure to improve with additional performance experience.

All of which is to say that while "The Andrews Brothers" may not be art, it is wildly entertaining and should delight audiences for its entire run.

Speaking of which, the Welk Resorts Theatre has an unusual performance schedule: there are 1:45pm matinee performances on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, while evening performances are given at 8pm on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The company takes Mondays and Fridays off, so check times carefully before you purchase. A buffet meal is available 90 minutes prior to each performance.

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