"THE SPITFIRE GRILL," Hale Center Theater Orem, through July 10 (running time: 130 minutes, one intermission).

OREM — Jayne Luke is one fine, mean lady.

As Hannah Ferguson in the musical "The Spitfire Grill" — the title being a small-time eatery in the dying town of Gilead, Wis. — Luke's character is demanding, uninterested in excuses and not about to put up with any nonsense.

So when Hannah is summarily handed a girl just out of prison to put to work in the diner, she's not pleased. The baleful, dead-eye stare that comes from the pint-size Luke is surprisingly daunting. And when she hurts her leg and has to rely on her new waitress to run the place, she's even more scary.

Fortunately, ex-con Percy Talbott (Jennifer Latimer in the Monday-Wednesday-Friday cast) can just about handle the rough treatment. After all, she's been in lockup for five years, a "wild bird" happy to be free.

Latimer does a good job playing opposite equity actor Luke. She holds her own.

So does Laurel Lowe as Shelby Thorpe, who comes to the rescue of Percy at the stove. She portrays a woman who is intimidated by her angry, explosive, controlling husband, but who slowly gains the confidence she needs to claim something of a life for herself.

"Spitfire Grill" is an interesting little story with big issues to resolve, including domestic abuse, the Vietnam War, incest and timbering. In some ways it may seem a strange choice for family-friendly Hale Center, but it actually fits in nicely because most everything is neatly resolved by the end, and there's a fair amount of humor along the way.

The show also has lots of nice music. For some, it may be too much, but for those who like pleasant songs, it's easy to just sit back and listen.

The vocals are well done, even when the range is difficult for a particular actor. Percy's song in the kitchen as she rattles pans and tries to cook everything that's burning is a rapid-fire masterpiece. So is "Ring Around the Moon" and "Dear Mrs. Ferguson."

The snoopy town gossip, Effy Krayneck, is played well by Carolyn Hartvigsen, but the invasive character should be a little older and less attractive.

Sheriff Joe Sutter, played by Brad Abram Baillio (on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) is reasonably tolerant of all the nonsense in Gilead and a good choice to be Percy's White Knight.

The issues driving Shelby's husband are never made really clear. Is he simply jealous of his cousin Eli, ticked because he wants the Grill for himself or mad because when the quarry closed he lost his identity? Maybe it's the ice and snow of Wisconsin driving him nuts.

At any rate, it's a refreshing and different kind of show for Utah County. Go and enjoy (but leave the young ones at home).

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E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com