In a theater town where standing ovations are automatic, it was telling that there was only polite, perfunctory applause at the weekend opening of "Irving Berlin's Easter Parade." And who can blame Chanhassen Dinner Theatre patrons for standing back a bit from this movie-to-stage musical?

This stage premiere of "Easter Parade," adapted from the 1948 Warner Brothers film and affably directed by Michael Brindisi, has Broadway aspirations. They must have spent a million bucks on the lavish sets (by Nayna Ramey) and costumes (Sandra Nei Schulte).

But the production, which needs more work, is held back by some dramaturgical flaws and a major miscasting.

The book is by Thomas Briggs. In it, a veteran song-and-dance couple, self-centered Don Hewes (Michael Gruber) and aging Nadine Hale (Michelle Barber) are having a crisis. He trains in a new girl, major klutz Hannah Brown (Ann Michels) as her replacement. Meanwhile, press agent Johnny Moore (Keith Rice) is besotted with Hannah. In the end, the romantic pairings diverge from the movie version.

The problem with this story is not that it's corny but that it is only partly supported in the acting. Gruber's Don and Barber's Nadine are supposed to be so attracted to each other, but their lack of chemistry undercuts that. Although they were played by Fred Astaire and Ann Miller in the movie, the kind of romantic interplay that's required of this couple is more Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Gruber is a phenomenal performer, graceful and smooth, with tremendous stage charisma. He moves well and has a gorgeous tenor. His best match, and the one that we root for, is Hannah. As wonderfully played by Michels, Hannah is way out of her depth at first but grows into a polished sophisticate. Michels is doing some of her best stage work here. And Rice, as their press agent and wrangler, is smooth, although not evincing any ethical conflict. While Barber is clearly a gifted performer, she has been miscast.

The dramaturgical flaws that freight "Easter Parade" are clear. For example, the musical is set in 1910 and 1911, yet it uses 1940s swing music (and under Thomas Mustachio's baton, quite swinging at that) to represent ragtime.

All of that said, there are many lovely moments in "Easter Parade." Choreographer Tamara Kangas has done beautiful work (although she has done better) with some big numbers. (Kudos to the cast for tapping so well on a sandy, raked floor not made for such hoofing.) And director Brindisi has found many ways to show his theatrical ingenuity, from a beautiful "When The Midnight Choo-choo Leaves for Alabam" to a very funny restaurant divertissement. It would be great if everything in the production had such efficiency.