The Purple Rose Theatre's "Boeing Boeing" struggles to get airborne

Set in 1965 Paris, “Boeing” tells the story of Bernard (Jeff Thomakos), an American man who’s living in Paris while juggling three fiancées, all of whom work as air hostesses: an American named Gloria (Stacie Hadgikosti); an Italian named Gabriella (Rhiannon Raglund); and a German named Gretchen (Charlyn Swarthout).

When Bernard’s old friend from Wisconsin, Robert (Matthew David), unexpectedly arrives in town, Bernard explains how he meticulously arranges his daily life around the women’s flight schedules - thereby driving his grumbling maid Berthe (Michelle Mountain) up the wall. But Bernard’s fragile system threatens to come tumbling down when all three women arrive at the apartment on the same day.

Despite “Boeing”’s recent, much-celebrated resurrection - Matthew Warchus’ Broadway revival won two 2008 Tony Awards (out of six nominations) and heaps of critical praise - its script, adapted by Beverley Cross, rang stale to me. The woman-juggling storyline may not have been “played out” when the play premiered in the 60s, but some will likely find it to be so now. (The fact that I only found myself laughing once or twice during a farce seemed a red flag.)

And while first-time director Nate Mitchell stages the physical action with a sure hand - the production’s prize moment, hands down, comes when David makes a flying, desperate leap across the stage with a bean bag chair - the comic dialogue never goes much beyond being merely, well, cute (see paragraph two).

Part of the issue is that none of the play’s characters are particularly likable. Bernard is predictably arrogant and duplicitous; Robert falls for intense, brusque Gretchen after a mistaken-identity kiss, though I never could fathom exactly why; and Robert, who would appear to be the audience’s intended point of connection to this romantically chaotic world, isn’t a wholly sympathetic nice guy, either.

Perhaps it’s telling that when I initially researched the play and learned that David and Thomakos would be playing the male leads, I envisioned them in the opposite roles - David, so memorable as Stanley in the Rose’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” as “Boeing”’s too-self-assured lothario, and Thomakos as the flustered American fish out of water. But even so, both actors commit wholeheartedly to bringing the screwball world of “Boeing” to life.

And although “Boeing”’s women don’t get too many sustained opportunities to shine - they’re too busy being pushed into and out of rooms - Hadgikosti managed to provide some appealing energy and spark each time she appeared on stage.

Bartley H. Bauer designed “Boeing”’s large, muted-palette, Paris apartment set, complete with several doors for slamming (and partial views of a kitchen and one bedroom). The split level-set serves the action well, and two elements in particular - a lounge chair that does double duty as a bar (where can I order one of these?), and a couch that has a highly unusual and fabulous feature - are visual knockouts.

Christianne Myers, meanwhile, does a fine job creating bright, curve-hugging-yet-institutional uniforms for the air hostesses - as well as character-specific lingerie, of course - and wisely opts for the turtleneck-with-jacket brand of cool for Bernard.

So there are several talented people involved in “Boeing” - but for me, the show never quite got off the ground.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.