Remember when going to the theater meant a night of getting away from your problems?

But Circa '21's new "Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical" plays those problems - at least for those of us of a Certain Age - for a mostly enjoyable evening.

The script, by brothers Bob and Jim Walton, doesn't break any new ground, but the six performers at Circa - four of whom are new to the Rock Island stage - give gusto to the revue.

The two actor who are Circa regulars, Tom Walljasper and Brad Hauskins, are dependably entertaining as always. (And as Hauskins said in the opening-night curtain-call speech, it proves once and for all that he and Walljasper are indeed two different people.)

The two shine together in a song lamenting their post-40 physicals, particularly one certain part of the exam. Walljasper is at his best in "What Did I Come In Here For?" which opens the second act, while Hauskins laments "My Lost Love" in a ballad with a punchline I won't give away.

The lone male newcomer, Paul Gregory Nelson, alternates nicely between bravado and silliness, especially in a monologue about his prescription's side effects. (Again, you've heard similar storylines from stand-up comics, but Nelson gives it a great go.)

The three female newcomers - Kathi Osborne, Carrie SaLoutes and Jessica Swersey - are entertaining as well, but since they are all similar-looking blondes, it's sometimes difficult to distinguish one from the other.

Swersey does give a delightful read on "Biological Clock" as a woman desperate to procreate. Osborne stars in "When He Laughs" as a wife sticking by her husband. And SaLoutes is one of the performers in "Mid-Life Translator," a funny and concise piece.

The three women, however, combine for "He Got What He Deserved" - a decidedly nasty version of the "Cell Block Tango" from "Chicago" - which is set at a high school reunion.

Ann Nieman, who also directed last year's similarly constructed "Are We There Yet?" keeps a nice pace with all of the bits in the show, not allowing too many of them to overstay their welcome.

There's a little bit of sentimentality toward the end, thanks to the finale and its predecessor, depicting the sandwich generation, but I almost wish the script had provided some more.

But for those of us in the target audience for "Mid-Life!" - and the legions of Circa audience members already past that date - much of the humor and the songs ultimately hit home.