Sitting in the theater before a new show is always exciting. And I was especially excited to see this one, The Drowsy Chaperone. I’ve been waiting to see it for almost a year now, since my trip to New York last November. Thanks to a stagehand strike on Broadway, though, I left the Big Apple dissatisfied. I was thrilled when I found out the show was coming to San Francisco. But, I wondered, would the San Francisco production live up to the great things I heard about its East Coast counterpart?

To start, The Drowsy Chaperone is kind of an unusual show—a comedy within a musical. The story of a young Broadway starlet’s wedding comes to life through the sounds of a vintage record, heard in the kitchen of the play’s narrator, Man in Chair. Though I missed Bob Saget’s performance as Man in Chair in New York, this performer definitely filled the funny man’s shoes. Sitting in the rocking chair at the Orpheum Theatre was Jonathan Crombie, who also performed in the Broadway version before taking on the show’s national tour. Crombie executed the role superbly with the right combination of wit and self-pity. His cynical asides and insightful commentary make the show a must-see and give the show a flavor of modern-day New York in a musical scene from 1920s Manhattan.

The tap dancing scene, “Cold Feets,” with Mark Ledbetter as Robert Martin, the attractive and wealthy groom-to-be, and Richard Vida as George, was one of the show’s many highlights as well as an impressive display of athleticism and skill.  Another stand-out moment was “Show Off,” in which the bride-to-be, Janet Van De Graaff, played by Andrea Chamberlain, gives her loyal admirers her last hoop-jumping performance as she flawlessly shows off her vocals and showmanship. As the record plays, each character’s point of view is revealed through a quirky tale of love, loneliness, and mix-ups.

The musical, in my opinion, had no weak link. The dialogue was hilarious, the costumes were true to the style of the ‘20s, and every actor helped to bring each character and the entire ensemble to life. From the “Toledo Surprise” scene starring the vertically challenged gangster duo played by twin brothers Peter and Paul Riopelle to the painfully absent-minded Mrs. Tottendale, played by Everybody Loves Raymond’s Georgia Engel, the cast nailed their performances.

This musical is the most spirited and lively show I’ve seen all year. To anyone who wants to be whisked out of the humdrums of everyday life and into a hilarious world of theatrical clichés and contemporary humor, I highly recommend The Drowsy Chaperone. I simply did not stop laughing: the show is funny, surprising, zany, and even beautifully ridiculous at times—I left the theater swinging my arms and singing “Toledo Surprise.” The characters stayed me with all week and I found myself laughing every time there was an occasion to say “Whaaaat?” in the overly gesticulated, uproarious manner of Aldolfo, played by Dale Hensley. The cast has an impressive number of musical accolades: Five Tony Awards and a Drama Desk award for Best Musical.

The show goes on at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre through Aug. 17. Orpheum Theatre: 1192 Market St., S.F., info line: 415-551-2000, ticket line: 415-512-7770. Tonight’s show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets $30–$75; Fri., Sat. show starts at 8 p.m., tickets $50–$99; Sat., Sun. matinee starts at 2 p.m., tickets $50–$99