"The Drowsy Chaperone" is a new show that's just the thing for any lover of old-style stage musicals.

After 18 months on Broadway and a truncated London run, the show continues on tour and in regional productions. As the season opener for Diamond Head Theatre, it's directed and choreographed by James Patterson, from the national tour, and features DHT artistic director John Rampage, making a rare on-stage appearance.

Rampage's character narrates the show as "Man in Chair," a musical devotee in a dingy Manhattan apartment who escapes the blues by listening to recordings of old shows. Speaking directly to the audience, he introduces us to "The Drowsy Chaperone" — a fictitious 1928 show that becomes a live performance in his living room.

He also says a prayer with which audiences can identify: "Please, God, let it be good. Let it be short. And keep the actors out of the audience."

Rampage is excellent at revealing his character's history as he guides us through the musical numbers — emerging as a lonely recluse who clings to his albums and who delights in sharing their forgotten details:

"The part was played by a former silent film star and world-class alcoholic who drank himself to death. It was five days before they found the body and by that time it had been partially consumed by his poodles. Try not to think of the poodles as you listen to this."

As each new character appears, the show is a fine vehicle for spotlight solos that are heavy with period style and familiar cliches.

Madison Eror is the showgirl about to give up show business to marry for money, Kala'au is the producer who would be ruined if she does, and Yvonne Iversen is the boozy chaperone who fails to keep her away from the groom, Kyle Malis.

Douglas Scheer gets a good turn as the staid butler, Jim Price booms as an accented gigolo, and Daniel James Kunkel and Thomas McCurdy are a pair of dancing gangsters.

The two-act show is designed to be performed without an intermission and plays in less than two hours. The production certainly looks and sounds good, dressed up with Karen Wolfe's costumes and with excellent choral and orchestra work under Phil Hidalgo's musical direction.

But its best success comes when the "Man in Chair" gets the audience to see the show through the lens of his own fascination.

Once we've met all the characters, the "Chaperone" plot begins to wear out.

After one kooky scene, our narrator admits that a particular scene is "lame" and that "the monkey motif is labored."

"But it does what a musical is supposed to do," the narrator concludes. "It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry in your head."