While Tad Hopkins, Hannah Johnston, Zach Reinert, Gene Newman and Cheyenne Lynch were the first five cast members listed on the program, their performances didn’t stand out nearly as much as a couple of others. It’s no knock against them. That’s simply the nature of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” which the gang over at Robidoux Resident Theatre performed last weekend at the Missouri Theater.

The stars of this musical — based on the 1964 Ian Fleming novel of the same name — may have played imaginative kids, quirky inventors, safari hunters and candy empire heiresses, but they were still out-wackied by Steve Snider and Andrea Bramlage. The duo played Baron and Baroness Bomburst, the tyrant rulers of the country of Vulgaria who use their power and affluence to try to steal the magic car “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” from the Potts family of England. You see, the Baron is a spoiled child in a grown man’s body. He loves magical and extravagant playthings. So, when his birthday approaches, he naturally desires Chitty, an old grand prix racer that boasts wings and a flotation device.

Snider really dialed up the immaturity for this performance, and it paid off. He put on a big, pouty frown and stomped about the stage in his lavender imperial garb when he didn’t get his way. He jumped around like a giddy schoolgirl at the thought of getting new toys on his big day. But the scenes in which he and Bramlage worked together became the most memorable of the musical.

The evil Baron and Baroness would nuzzle one another like cutesy lovers and call each other pet names like “Sticky Buns” and “Poodle” in their thick Vulgarian accents. The one key difference between the two — the Baroness had her mind on the Baron, and the Baron’s focus remained on the car. This was readily apparent in the finale of the play’s first act, when the Baroness fell on the ground and couldn’t get back on her feet no matter how much she rolled and flailed around. The excited Baron, who was tantalized by the fact that Chitty may finally be his, ignored her cries for help.

“Not now, dear. I’m on a roll.”

The witty, physically comedic scene earned a huge applause from the crowd in attendance. As did the couple’s performance of “Chu-Chi Face,” a second-act number in which the randy Baroness chased the intimately timid Baron all around the stage as he threw obstacles in her way and hid from her sight every chance he got.

While Snider and Bramlage chewed up the scenery, the rest of the cast put in solid performances. Sean Connors and Patrick Hall delivered lots of laughs as the dim-witted Vulgarian spies Boris and Goran. Johnston and Reinert, who played the children of poor inventor Caractacus Potts (Hopkins), were especially impressive for their young ages. Both actors hit all of their marks and brought an enthusiasm to the play that kept it afloat during its admittedly slow start.

Meanwhile, Hopkins did a great job taking on the role of Caractacus that Dick Van Dyke made famous in the 1968 film. Hopkins’ tangible optimism and dry wit were just what the doctor ordered, and his timing and delivery during the haircut-gone-awry scene at the funfair couldn’t have been better.

Of course, Hopkins played a big part in the production’s most impressive song-and-dance, “Me Ol’ Bamboo,” as well. Hopkins and the eight “Morris Men” took on some very difficult choreography for the number, which included its fair share of cartwheels, leaping and well-timed bamboo stick tossing. Choreographer Marla Heeler and the cast deserve a pat on the back for “Me Ol’ Bamboo,” as well as the lively, colorful ditty “Toot Sweets.”

“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” boasts its share of catchy, recognizable tunes — “You Two,” “Teamwork” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” immediately come to mind after those already mentioned — but few of the songs call for soaring vocals. However, Lynch (who played Truly Scrumptious) genuinely blew away many in the audience with her performance of “Lovely, Lonely Man.” She proved that she’s one of RRT’s best singers throughout the play, and I’d like to see her take on more challenging musical material in the future.

“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” didn’t bear the morality-boosting ending that previous family-friendly RRT musicals like “Honk” and “Willy Wonka” did, but the play was lighthearted, whimsical, witty and entertaining nonetheless. The fun, imaginative production delighted both the kids and adults in attendance, and that’s really all that matters.