It wasn't just bread rising Friday night at the opening of "The Baker's Wife" by Stephen Schwartz at the Succop Theatre. The audience rose to the occasion, thinking it worthy enough for a standing ovation.

The Musical Theatre Guild's show is on a roll at the theater at the Butler County Community College.

To start, the musical itself is expertly written combining touches of irreverent humor with tender moments. Make no mistake, this tale is one of longing and not just the townspeople for their bread. That is only half the story.

The music, under the direction of Karen O'Donnell, was wonderful.

The score itself is beautiful, and the lighting during some of the songs enhanced the mood of the music perfectly.

Next, where has Joyce Hamilton been hiding? Hamilton, who played Denise, the wife of the crotchety café owner, Claude (Ron Vodenichar), burst on the stage with a big, bold voice. Her stage presence and confidence as she belted out the poignant "Chanson" was wonderful.

Her vocals were deep and rich. Hopefully we'll hear more from her in the future.

Schwartz has a way of weaving bits of tenderness with moments of hilarity all wrapped up in issues bigger than they seem.

In one scene, the townspeople succumb to their lust for bread and dance and sing their way through the virtues of the tasty carbohydrate. Immediately following is "Gifts of Love," Genevieve's (Julia Kramer) lament of her sad realization of hope deferred.

This intertwining of emotional highs and lows compellingly snares the audience and reels them in for the ride.

Bob Dandoy's versatility as an actor was stretched as the role of Baker calls for comedy, raw emotion, a few high notes and loving a cat. He dominated most of the scenes he was in. Most hysterical was his drunken baker walk.

The chemistry between Dandoy and Kramer was believable, and the audience felt his pain and betrayal as he tried to cope with the loss of his wife.

Kramer, who is always a pleasure to look at, seems to be developing her vocals. Although her voice wavered a bit on the vocally challenging "Meadowlark," she found it in "Where is the Warmth," finishing strong.

The egotistical wife stealer Dominique was played expertly by Patrick Erkman, who crooned the cleverly written "Serenade" which was a double entendre in itself. He and Kramer, while they had the makings of a good couple, did not have the same chemistry that Dandoy and Kramer shared.

The battle of the sexes rages throughout the production. In act one village men take a stab at women in "Look for the Woman," a comical portrayal of women as the root of all evil.

In act two, Vodenichar and his other cohorts flaunt the baker as "Luckiest Man in the World" because he is now single.

Paybacks come from the women, including Nedra Casey, Connie Rodgers, Kristin Double, Davlin Hupp and others, during act two with "Romance," where they lament what time takes away from their men and their love.

Federico Scasso, who played the Priest, and Doug Anderson, who played the Marquis, contributed some comical performances as well as some strong vocals. Dennis Casey, Bill Geibel, John Revelli and Dean Weiland added to the comedy.

The director, Phil Ball, promised a refreshingly funny new show and he delivered it in spades or in loaves. But either way he delivered and the audience enjoyed it.

The recipe is no surprise. Schwartz is the same composer-lyricist who created "Godspell," "Pippen," "The Magic Show," "Children of Eden" and "Rags" as well as the Disney movies "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Pocahontas" and "Gepetto."