PHOTO BY DAVID LEIDHOLT From left, are members of the cast for Millbrook’s “Honky Tonk Angels, Alexandra Cooke as Sue Ellen, Alyssa Flowers as Angela and Madalyn Archer Weeks as Darlene.

Three women, one destination. Drawn together by chance or the workings of their better angels, Angela, Sue Ellen, and Darlene are on their way to Nashville, where they simply want to sing their hearts out. And we’re along for the ride!

Angela, who hails from Texas, has six kids, a double-wide and a husband (named Bubba) who cancels their dinner date for a tractor pull. Sue Ellen, from LA and twice divorced, works nine to five fending off the advances of her office manager. And Darlene, from Mississippi, having lost her mother and her boyfriend, is expected to spend her days waiting on a demanding father. We watch as each gathers the courage to name her own dreams and “fly away” to embrace the unknown.

Though, as it turns out, these three feisty, fugitive women are too scared to fly — and they end up taking the bus. Taking the scenic route, however, often has its advantages. It’s here that they meet, discover their common interests, and commit — as the “Honky Tonk Angels” — to sing together. Nashville, here we come!

“Honky Tonk Angels,” Millbrook’s most recent offering on the Ryan Main Stage, is a spirited, often hilarious, heart-warming musical that seamlessly meshes a non-stop playlist of our much-loved country hits with storytelling that is both tender and uplifting.

And the actors are a marvel.

Alyssa Flowers plays Angela, the Texas housewife, with a larger-than-life, hands-on-hips, don’t-mess-with-me attitude — and a beaming smile. Her performance of “Harper Valley PTA” at the Nashville Honky Tonk Heaven Club will knock your socks off.

Alexandra Cooke, as Sue Ellen, is compelling as a woman who is able, over the course of this adventure, to leave cynicism and disappointment behind and embrace a new-found, hard-won independence. With a voice that hints of Dolly Parton and non-stop dance moves that sizzle, she bedazzles and delights.

Madalyn Archer Weeks is Darlene, the youngest, shyest, and most vulnerable of the trio. She uses both voice and body expressively to show us, early in the show, a beautiful spirit trying — like a bird — to escape from its cage. And we follow delightedly as her growing confidence allows her to turn her soulful tears into full-throated, joyous song.

The play does not downplay the women’s differences. Darlene’s Mama is looking down on her from heaven, while Angela’s angels are of the evangelical kind, and Sue Ellen’s are of the New Age variety. Nevertheless, within the scope of this limited time and platform, the play offers a welcoming space where we can celebrate the “angels among us” as we come together in upbeat harmony — and in foot-stomping fun.

The set, designed by Sarah Elizabeth Bidini, a grad student from Penn State, features huge backlit angel’s wings — a perfect image that announces the theme while embracing the earthly doings down below. Sarah joins a whole team of creative workers, toiling behind the scenes and around the edges to ensure a successful production. These include members of the band: Abigail Gorsuch on keyboards, James Eldreth on guitar, and Dominic DePasquale on drums. Also included are Brendan Rowan (lighting), Bailey Hammett (costumes), Jack Nedrow (sound), V.C. Deener (props), Megan Wilison (production stage manager), Kaidyn Rogers (assistant stage manager), Ericka Conklin (associate producer) and Elaina Packer (dresser / crew). Congratulations to the team and to Anne Kessler (director) and Abigail Gorsuch (musical director) for a fine production!

And congratulations also to Erla Mae (Millbrook’s treasurer), for her induction into the Honky Tonk Angels Hall of Fame!

“Honky Tonk Angels” runs through Aug. 3. Get your tickets now. Nashville, here we come!

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Karen Elias lives in Swissdale. She taught English for more than 30 years, most recently at Lock Haven University and Penn College.