There’s nothing drowsy about “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

The Act 1 DeSales University Theatre production, through May 5, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, is high-energy and eyes-wide-open.

The musical-comedy, with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, received 13 Tony Award nominations, winning five Tonys, including original score and book in 2006 for its original Broadway run.

The show, somewhat of an undiscovered gem, is polished to perfection by the DeSales student cast with unabashed exuberance in dance, vocals and acting that is irresistible.

DeSales production Director Valerie Joyce guides the cast with the right amount of cheekiness that still respects the genre with an overall effect that celebrates of the joy of muscial theater.

She is capably aided by Musical Director Nancy Moser Collins Miles, Choreographer Stephen Casey, Costume Designer Janus Stefanowicz, Scenic Designer James V. Raymond, Props Designer Sandra Lopez, Lighting Designer Eric T. Haugen and Sound Designer Jonathan Cannon.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” is a delight from curtain rises to concluding bows for fans of music theater, surreal comedy and classic Hollywood movies.

The premise is that a musical theater buff, identified only as Man in Chair (a brilliant Christian Tuffy), plays a vinyl record of his favorite musical, the fictional 1928 Broadway show, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” as he confides to the audience, whenever he’s in a state of “self-conscious anxiety resulting in nonspecific sadness.” Can’t we all relate to that, whatever “that” is?

Setting “that” aside, Man in Chair becomes one with the audience as the characters in songs on the LP of the musical come to life on stage. The DeSales’ students make us sit up and take notice as send-ups and send-downs of one outlandish plot point after another unfold, as do subplots and subplots of subplots, all rendered in parodies of musical numbers and Broadway musical tropes.

It’s all loosely tied together by Man in Chair’s commentary about the play within the play, including criticism of the plot, its songs, and the characters. In this, Christian Tuffy is drolly confidential in voice, limbs akimbo in body language and entirely engaging. He keeps the audience in on the joke, and sets up numerous humorous situations, such as when the record skips and the actors repeat snippets of song and dance, or when he puts on the wrong record, or when the phone rings or the lights go out and he’s adroitly in direct-response to the audience.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” is perhaps the greatest needle-drop musical ever except, of course, the songs are not pre-existing, but are original, even though they are presented as iconic, and, of course, it’s a musical, not a movie.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” is perhaps the most meta of musicals before the term for being cleverly self-referential was popularized by the Metaverse and other applications (No, not Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.). It’s the “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (Oscar-winning 2022 movie) of musicals.

Speaking of movies, a movie version of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” announced in 2013, is “In Production,” according to the Internet Movie Database as of the writing if this review.

Meanwhile, back on the stage at Labuda, the students are having so much fun in their roles in the musical and so we, as the audience, do, too. This is a stellar cast of confident thespians who are tremendously talented, brave and fearless.

Gabrielle Moseley in the lead female role of Janet Van De Graaff is at the top of her form in gorgeous voice and amazing dance moves. At one point, she cartwheels across the stage at least, by my count, three times. Her “Show Off” number, backed by the Company, is intentionally on the actor’s part vaingloriously wonderful.

Abigail Vernon as The Drowsy Chaperone is wide-awake and exciting. She is in fine voice and commands the stage in “As We Stumble Along.”

Giovanni Marini as Aldolpho is gregarious and conveys the preposterous character in a nuanced way that is all the more hilarious in “I Am Aldolpho.”

Among the outstanding production numbers are “Love Is Always Lovely In The End” by CaSandra Kay (Mrs. Tottendale) and Jamir Fisher (Underling) and “I Do, I Do In The Sky” by Grace Curry (Trix The Aviatrix).

Memorable turns are by Noah Schnabel (Robert Martin), Tyler Borneo (George), Carter Sachse (Feldzieg), Rosie Dunphy (Kitty), Tommy Stacherski (Gangster No. 1), Ryan Plunkett (Gangster No. 2) and Michael Ignudo (Superintendent).

The Ensemble includes Alicia Brogan, Maya Marino Cappello, Tim Loosararian and Teddy Novak.

The 14-person orchestra, conducted by Nathan Diehl, is superb.

A patron in the theater lobby after the April 28 performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” seen for this review, said to his wife, “That’s one show I’d like to see again.”

I couldn’t agree more.

“The Drowsy Chaperone,” 7:30 p.m. April 24, 25, 26, 27, May 1, 2, 3; 2 p.m. April 28, May 5; 9:45 a.m. April 30; 2, 7:30 p.m. May 4, Act 1 DeSales University Theatre, Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-3192; https://www.desales.edu