AUGUSTA — Imagine being responsible for casting a big show like "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," which opened at Augusta's Barn Theatre Tuesday. Out of the Barn's huge company of two dozen hopefuls, you have to select just one female romantic lead.

Director and choreographer Larry Nye made the right choice casting Emily May Smith as the headstrong and honorable Milly opposite the male romantic lead, Adam Pontipee (Eric Parker).

The audience assembled on Tuesday agreed, effusing boisterous and ebullient cheers and applause for the couple during the show's final curtain call.

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" won over the audience before the curtains parted. As the Barn patrons took their seats, mutterings of "this is going to be good" and "I have been looking forward to this all summer" were frequent. The Barn delivered.

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" was adapted to the stage in 1979 from the 1954 film. It has enjoyed a UK revival tour in 2002, a revival at Connecticut's Goodspeed Opera House in 2005 and a 2007 tour is underway. It is a ripsnorting, wild ride of great singing and dancing. But the story is more palatable, if you don't think about it. Because if you think about it, the awful sexism is glaringly obvious. Better to ignore the sexism, and enjoy the peppy songs and galvanic dance sequences.

Loosely based on the short story "The Sobbin' Women" by Stephen Vincent Benét, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is about wife-stealing. Set in the Oregon frontier of the 1850s, Adam Pontipee comes off the mountain to sell his furs and to find a wife, not for companionship but rather as a workhorse to feed, clothe and tend house for him and his six brothers. The show doesn't hide its sexism as Adam compares his bride-to-be to a pelt of fur, as if he is trapping her like an animal, in the opening song "Bless Your Beautiful Hide": "Pretty and trim but kinda slim/Heavenly eyes but oh that size/She's gotta be right to be the bride for me."

The brothers are love-starved boys who have rarely been to town, let alone interacted with women. Milly instructs them on manners in one of the show's best songs, "Goin' Courtin'": "Oh, it's fun to hunt and shoot a gun/ Or to catch a rabbit on the run/But you'll find it's twice as sportin' goin' courtin'." The social dance that follows is the show's longest and most demanding dance number, which the cast pulls off admirably, especially since many are not professional dancers.

The conflict brews when Adam countermands Milly's tutelage and convinces the boys to go steal their brides with the song "Sobbin' Women," which was written by Benet. Returning with their kidnapped brides-to-be, Milly objects and the brothers side with Milly, causing Adam to leave his wife, stubbornly convinced he will not stand being bossed around by a woman.

Director Larry Nye avoids overt addressing of the sexual politics as some productions have done by making Adam unenlightened and unsympathetic, which could be emphasized by songs like "A Woman Ought to Know Her Place." Parker creates a very sympathetic performance, with more soft touches than hard edges, especially in his reconciliation with Milly during the finale.

Nye also cannily chooses choreography that best fits the company by steering clear of many of the elements of Michael Kidd's film work, which included wood chopping dance numbers and the raising of a barn. Though the performers struggle with some of the moves, they also manage others with surprising skill and precision. The direction and choreography blend to keep this show moving at breakneck speed, coming in at under two hours, including an intermission.

The cast of brothers include Eric Peterson, Jake Stackhouse, Jamey Grisham, Jeff Baker, Nick Horton, and Kevin White, who all give fabulous performances. White is especially excellent as Gideon, the youngest brother, who confronts Adam over his desertion of Milly.

Though the show does not afford the women nearly as much opportunity for more than doe-eyed infatuation, the brides are equally talented singers and dancers with Lisa Marie Morabito, Megan Macphee, Julia Page Gordon, Courtney Reed, Emmi Hilger, and Katherine Weatherford in the roles.

Parker turns in the excellence for which he is well-known in the role of Adam, which should come as no surprise to any Barn regulars. But it's the work of Smith that makes this production truly special. With only one lead role (in 2004's "The Fantastiks") to her Barn credit, Smith has long been deserving of her time in the spotlight. Somewhat restricted vocally in the earlier "Nunsense," Smith belts out these songs with a power and sweetness that fit her role perfectly.

The production values for this musical are high with quality sets and costumes as well as virtuoso musical direction by Micah Young. Don't miss your chance to see one of the most special companies the Barn has ever assembled delight with this entertaining musical and the must-see bar show that follows.

Christopher Tower is a freelance writer and theater reviewer.

Barn goes courtin' nostalgia with 'Seven Brides' musical