Brilliantly inventive director Donald Labohn, once more guiding a terrific ensemble, took an exhilarating look at "The Roaring '20s," in a show-the 14th annual benefit for the Elmer A. Lindsay Memorial Center, the Cherry Grove Doctor's Fund-presented by Meryl Facterman and Lois McIntosh, in association with the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, on July 17 at the Community House. It was a fun-filled evening of melodies, actually from the 1920s, or evocative of the '20s, and of dazzling costumes, replete with frills, feathers and sequins, not to mention a fantastic stage setting, by Harold Seeley, for the finale's Ziegfeld Follies number.

The show started with the title song from "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and Charity, Shirley and Sylvia Shapiro, Luisa Verde and Coco Love were our fetching and flirtatious flappers. Sticking with Julie Andrews, bubbly Renée Flaming, Urban Sprawl, Lola and Margo professed a pressing need for a boyfriend, in the title song from "The Boyfriend," and their winsome beaux were Rob Ferri, Gary Greene, Joanne Tavis and Doreen Rallo. A torrid Margo wooed a diffident Doreen with "I Wanna Be Loved by You (Boop-Boop-a-Doo)," and Bella, cavorting as 'red-hot mama' Sophie Tucker, expressed certainty that "Some of these Days" she'd be missed by her errant swain.

Looking at silent films, Coco told us all about "It," that certain something defined by racy novelist Elinor Glyn and personified by Clara Bow, and Jack Ruolo, as Rudolph Valentino, as the Sheik of Araby, ravished Urban, while Cobra held up cards with titles, such as "Kinky," when our lovers wound up on the floor.

Dan Daly, Rob and Gary were stage door Johnnies waiting for showgirls Margo, Charity and Luisa. The guys offered gifts, but Luisa insisted, "I Want More." More than she bargained for was indeed what she got from Bible-banging Gary, who brandished both crucifix and big book, containing The Word, and cautioned, "Broadway Blossom, Beware."

The Shapiro sisters, glitzily garbed, probed the phenomenon of "The Vamp," bent on seduction. Don Verteramo played a 'politically correct' Al Jolson-in white face, that is-limning that beloved "Swanee" river. Doreen was the swell and Bobbie Green, in high heels, the flapper, asking each other, "Won't You Charleston With Me?," in the duet from "The Boyfriend," and then Charleston, lustily, they did. Latina spitfire Lola, expecting, lamented that "It's too late now," for that 'flaming youth' went just too far-good that same-sex marriage is now legal in her native Argentina.

The centerpiece of the show was a production number, with the full company "Shaking the Blues Away," in Texas Guinan's speakeasy. Renée, Luisa and Urban entertained by asserting, "You've got to see Mama ever night, or you can't see Mama at all." Bella played entrepreneur Texas, introducing herself with, "I'm the Queen, the hottest thing you've ever seen," and groping Rob without inhibition. Showgirl Shirley told big shot producer Don, "I'm available," for a show, or whatever, and they became partners-dance partners, that is. "I'm unlucky in gambling and I'm unlucky in love," was Charity's plaint. When she went to the movies with her Monte Carlo croupier, and told him "I liked John Gilbert," a light bulb of rueful recognition went on-"I realized he liked John Gilbert, too." It's late at night, there's almost no one in the joint, but that didn't stop Sylvia from urging, "Let yourself go." It's even later and, in a Russian-flavored selection, a tipsy Renée put the blame on "Vodka (you've ruined me)." Finally just the stage-struck waiters, Bobbie, Doreen and Joanne, remained, and shared their ambition to "get my name in lights."

In his original number Dan, singing from the piano, played Mr. Gallagher to Broadway baby John Scoullar's Mr. Sheen and, with glee, punctured the reputations of '20s sacred cows Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, and Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin.

For a spectacular finale, featuring the full ensemble, Joanne serenaded a procession of Follies beauties Renée, Lola, Margo, Bella, Sylvia, Coco, Urban, Charity, and Shirley, their towering headdresses crowning their outrageous gowns, with "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody."

Kudos go to Donald, the cast, tech crew Matt Baney, Alison Brackman, Michael Romanelli and Sherri Rase, stage crew Arthur Cohen, Jane Haber, and Peg Ryan, and everyone else whose efforts it took to put this wonderful evening together.