The boys are back “On the Town” in Berwick.

The classic story of three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City in 1944 has long been praised for its blending of the subtleties of ballet and opera with the more typical Broadway show elements of earthy comedy and sentimental romance.

The 19 cast members in the Hackmatack Playhouse production, including many current and recently graduated theater arts students, work hard to energize the show and make it click on all levels.

Alec Paulson plays sailor Gabey, a guy looking for true love and finding it, after a frantic pursuit, in Ivy, an aspiring performer forced to work downscale in a Coney Island bar to make ends meet.

Paulson sang with a deep tenor that resonated throughout the old barn theater. The melancholy “Lonely Town” was a standout before he lent a joyous energy on “Lucky To Be Me,” as his character’s romantic prospects improved. He also partnered well with Serina Figueiras, as Ivy, in several dance sequences that were at the heart of this show’s quick shifts from street-level attitude to refined elegance.

Figueiras sang on and off-key (intentionally) during an amusing “Carnegie Hall Pavane” before again revealing her grace in an imaginary ballet sequence with Drew Masse.

Shay Willard and Josh Gluck, as Gabey’s sailor buddies, took comedic turns opposite their newfound paramours, played by Sara Sargent and Tess Jonas. Jonas was particularly effective as a brassy cab driver who suggestively insists “I Can Cook Too,” while Sargent’s straight-laced character gets “Carried Away” with her new sailor friend. All four joined voices on the stirring “Some Other Time,” as their day of discovery draws to a close.

Maggie Morneault, as a featured dancer, and Aaron Styles, as a judge willing to proclaim “I Understand,” deserve mention, as does Jess Andra in a couple of comedic roles.

A five-member musical ensemble directed by Kenneth Griffith II handles the rigorous Leonard Bernstein score, in which clarinets and flutes figure prominently. The pivoting backdrops and rolling subway and nightclub sets designed by Jerard-James Craven suggest imposing skyscrapers, bustling urban life and glitzy interiors, and the period costumes by Jenny Moore add touches of chorus line dazzle.

Cutting only a few songs from those included in the most recent Broadway revival, Director and Choreographer Crystal Lisbon has put together a worthy production of a classic.

Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.

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