It's not often I can call a musical a hoot-and-a-half, but that's an apt description of Mike Craver and Mark Hardwick's charming "Radio Gals," now in its San Diego premiere at Vista's Avo Playhouse.

Produced by Moonlight Stage Productions and joyously staged by Don and Bonnie Ward, the high-spirited, crowd-pleasing musical nostalgically recalls the early days of radio in the early-1920s Midwest, when girls were gals, Rudolf Valentino was all the rage, and the "Depression" was something you could treat with a medicinal dose of 100-proof Horehound Compound.

In "Radio Gals," Hazel Hunt is a retired singing teacher whose latest hobby is beaming a little sunshine into the lives of others with the aid of a 500-watt radio transmitter stationed in the doily-bedecked parlor of her Cedar Ridge, Ark., home. Hazel's WGAL station offers a daily menu of inspirational readings, dramatic skits, homespun advice, live commercials and plenty of songs by her upbeat all-"girl" vocal troupe, the Hazelnuts. But Hazel has a bad habit of "channel-jumping," maneuvering her transmitter all over the radio dial to find a stronger signal (where it's picked up as far away as Canada), and all seems lost when a federal radio inspector shows up to shut them down. Of course, things end happily in this lightly plotted story, so I won't divulge any more details.

In truth, the show's real reward isn't its story, but its detailed direction by the Wards. Don and Bonnie have directed and choreographed hundreds of musicals over the past four decades and they seem to have drawn inspiration from all of them for the wild, wacky and wide-ranging dance moves in this show. And the Craver/Hardwick score lovingly re-creates the period, with Rudy Vallee-style crooning, Boswell Sisters-like harmony and lighthearted jazzy novelty songs.

The cast is multitalented. Besides singing, dancing and acting, they all perform on a variety of instruments, from upright bass and piano to a kazoo, tambourine, accordion, birdcallers, washboard, spoons and ukuleles.

Dagmar Fields leads the cast in a rock-solid performance as the genteel but steel-spined Hazel Hunt. Leading her troupe of Hazelnuts, as the high-strung soprano Gladys Fritts, is Moonlight regular Gail Wolford-Beall, who gives a bright, kooky performance as an over-the-hill flapper-wannabe. Marci Anne Wuebben's has a bell-like voice and sunny stage presence as Hazel's redheaded niece Rennabelle, and Bettina "Pixie" Warren is bubbly and earnest as Rennabelle's patriotic cousin, America. And with his warbling tenor voice and strait-laced demeanor, John Nettles is perfectly cast as the self-important radio inspector O.B. Abbott.

Serving as their able backup band are Violet the fiddler, played sweetly by Cheryl Swem, and the mysterious Swindle sisters, who —— at the risk of spoiling a casting surprise —— are played by men, pianist/music director Don LeMaster (as Azilee Swindle) and drummer/bassist Daniel Doerfler (as Mabel Swindle). Half the fun of watching "Radio Gals" is seeing LeMaster's prettily pursed lips, Doerfler's hulking frame in a dress and both of them mincing daintily around the parlor in ankle socks and pumps. They underplay their parts so well that a nearsighted patron might only wonder what hormone condition gives Mabel a 5 o'clock shadow.

Among the show's best songs are Wuebben's "Dear Mr. Gershwin," he Swindle Sisters' hilarious duet "Buster He's a Hot Dog Now," and the raucous full-cast comedy number "Edna Jones, the Elephant Girl." The show runs 2 hours, 10 minutes, with intermission and it never lags.

Adding to the nostalgic feel of the show is Mike Buckley's lace-walled parlor set and period costumes by Carlotta Malone and Roslyn Lehman. Mitchell Simkovsky designed the lighting and Justin Hall created the sound. Sue Givens is stage manager.

Although "Radio Gals" evokes a period that only some in the audience may remember, its folksy music, delightful characters, lively choreography and fine cast make it a great evening out for all ages.