YOUNGSTOWN — The forecast at Youngstown Playhouse calls for “Rain.”

In this case, that’s a good thing as its stellar production of “Singin’ in the Rain” continues through Sunday.

After a 100th season filled with some big productions, the Playhouse doesn’t show any signs it plans to pull back in its 101st year. The first mainstage show of the season is filled with challenges, both for the performers on stage and the technical team, and it handled all of them capably.

Yes, it rains on stage. The first act finale is the title song of the Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed / Betty Comden / Adolph Green musical, and the special effect was executed flawlessly, and Ellen Licitra’s lighting allowed the audience to appreciate it fully.

The only problem was I found myself pondering how technical director Johnny Pecano executed the effect — What kind of plumbing had to be installed to make the water fall from the ceiling? How does the drainage system work? — instead of appreciating Donovan Rubante’s performance of one of the greatest songs in the musical theater canon.

Rubante plays Don Lockwood (the Gene Kelly role) in the musical and his brother, Zavier Rubante, is Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor’s character). Oftentimes, dance is the weak link in community theater musicals, but it’s where the Rubante brothers shine.

They made the many tap numbers in the musical look effortless, whether it was “Fit as a Fiddle” to open the show or when they’re joined by Cheyenne Carr as Kathy Selden on the classic number “Good Morning.”

Zavier Rubante is a talented singer and a gifted physical comedian. “Make ’em Laugh” was joyous as he executed many of the same moves O’Connor performs with a loose-limbed grace. It’s a number with a lot of moving parts, and choreographer Carrie Mazzucco and director Tyler Stouffer had it flowing seamlessly.

Mazzucco’s routines for the featured dancers also are entertaining, and kudos to the two children (Brogan Kuttler and Leona Helsel) who play young Don and Cosmo in the opening number with some fancy footwork.

The musical is set in 1927 as the movie industry undergoes a seismic shift with the introduction of talking pictures. Lockwood is a silent movie star with his frequent screen partner, temperamental star Lina Lamont (Brooke Jonas), who has a voice best suited for silent movies.

When the studio head (Arcale Peace) decided to turn Lockwood and Lamont’s latest swashbuckling romance into a talkie, Cosmo comes up with the idea to turn it into a musical and dub Selden’s voice for Lamont’s on screen.

Jonas plays Lamont with a shrill, Noo-Yawk accent that makes Fran Drescher sound like Helen Mirren. But she walks a tightrope that truly is astounding. She somehow manages to create a character who has a grating voice and limited acting ability without making her excruciating to hear. Even more impressive is how pleasing she makes her big solo number “What’s Wrong with Me?” while singing it very much in character.

Stouffer is a generous director who creates moments where individual performers can stand out, from the leads to the bit players. Amy Banks gets laughs in a brief scene as Lamont’s elocution coach, as does Terry Shears with his facial expressions as he’s whisked around in a rolling chair during “Moses Supposes.” One of the best musical numbers of the night is “Beautiful Girl,” led by ensemble member Wayne Bonner III.

While the production is filled with smart choices, perhaps the best was hiring a 17-piece orchestra conducted by Todd Maki to perform the score. As soon as that overture starts, it gives the show a jolt of energy that no recording could match, and the cast and creative team never let that energy diminish.

If you go …

WHAT: “Singin’ in the Rain”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 21

WHERE: Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Tickets range from $17 to $27 for adults and $12 to $22 for children ages 12 and younger and are available online at experienceyourarts.org and by calling 330-259-9651.