WHAT MAKES Jerry Herman's musicals work so well is a wide-eyed guilelessness that sees things not as they
are, but as they should be. It's true in "Hello, Dolly!" and in "Mame," and it's certainly true in "La Cage aux Folles," which opened Friday at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in a lavish and charming revival.

"La Cage," now more than two decades old, is a sweet tale of love, sacrifice and family values, different only because it takes place in the home of a family of three men -- Albin (Peter Del Fiorentino), his partner, Georges (Curt Denham) and Georges' son, Jean Michael (Charlie Levy), the product of a 22-years-ago fling.

Albin has been like a mother to Jean Michael, whose biological mom has wandered from guy to guy for as long as he's known her.

The problem, however, is the boy is getting married, not only to Anne (Rebecca Jayne Pingree), the love of his life, but into the family of her mother Marie (Judy Ryken) and father, political bigwig Edouard Dindon (Charles Evans), who is bent on driving the gay community deep
into a dank closet and in closing the drag clubs, just like the one owned by Albin and Georges.

Taking the path of least resistance, Jean Michael figures the best thing to do is track down his bio-mom, redecorate the home in a more heterosexual style, take some of the sass out of his pop and tell Albin, who is flamboyant without even trying, to hide somewhere while the future in-laws are visiting.

This goes over about as well as a molting boa, and Jean Michael begins to realize what he is doing may be not only selfish but cruel.

As a compromise, Albin agrees to butch up and come to the evening as Uncle Al. But when the chips are down, and bio-mom bails on the party, Albin emerges in full drag as the mother he has always been.

Of course there are enormous complications and the anticipated revelation, but the tale is constantly buoyed on a cloud of optimism and good nature, even when Albin's heart is breaking and it looks as if Georges is going to go along with his son's plans.

All of this is taking place in the two men's home, while in the adjacent nightclub, "La Cage aux Folles," the lavish drag shows unfold and Albin stars as Zaza, the diva of divas in the town's club section. The shows go on with a determined sort of coy sexiness that also mirrors the Herman cheeriness, and makes the play sweet as a mom's hug.

Director Sue Ellen Nelsen has done a terrific job maintaining the sweet nature of Herman in telling the story, yet never letting it get cloying. She sets a pace and tone that makes the musical dazzle and charm, yet keeps the focus on the overriding message of family values.

The cast, particularly the principals, is wonderful. Denham and Del Fiorentino are fabulous, not only in their individual performances, but also as a team. Deserving recognition, too, is Moka Davis, who plays Jacob, the couple's butler/maid/loose cannon. The role is a great piece of comedy, but Davis is able to squeeze all possible laughs out of the role.

The only rough spot in the show is the drag performers, who still seem to be getting accustomed to their new body shapes, and are having difficulty with their dance steps. On the other hand, having a number of men in the chorus who have obviously never even dreamed of dressing in drag adds a goofy sort of charm to the nightclub scenes.

Musical conductor Cheryl Yee Glass delivers a solid performance with her orchestra. And the set, by Andrea Bechert, is a true marvel -- using drops, panels and slides, the show moves through a number of scenes that fold in and out of the lights like so many sides of an intricate Chinese box puzzle.

Pat Craig is the Times theater critic. Reach him at 925-945-4736 or pcraig@cctimes.com.

THEATER REVIEW

• WHO: Diablo Light Opera Company
• WHAT: "La Cage aux Folles," by Jerry Herman and
  Harvey Fierstein
• WHEN: Thursdays-Sundays through Nov. 6
• WHERE: Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts,
  Civic Drive at Locust Street, Walnut Creek
• RUNNING TIME: 2 hours, 20 minutes
• HOW MUCH: $24-$32
• CONTACT: 925-943-SHOW; www.dloc.org