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Those looking for an ideal date night activity can find one in The Huntington’s production of “The Light in the Piazza.” This romantic production directed by Loretta Greco has all the wonder and fancy of an idealized love story, albeit executed with the hiccups of a real one.

As mother-daughter duo Margaret (Emily Skinner) and Clara Johnson (Sarah-Anne Martinez) vacation in Italy, a wind-flung hat brings together Clara and strapping young Italian Fabrizio Naccarelli (Joshua Grosso). Despite a language barrier, the two fall in love instantly as Margaret struggles to accept their union in the wake of her own disintegrating marriage. Crucially in The Huntington’s production, Craig Lucas’ book sings more than Adam Guettel’s Tony Award-winning score.

The cast’s acting abilities shine across the board — particularly in comedic moments. Misunderstandings between the Naccarellis and the Johnsons prompt laugh after laugh even when the book retreads predictable cultural faux pas material. In particular, Skinner’s razor sharp delivery as the savvy and jaded Margaret contrasts hilariously with Martinez’s well-intentioned cluelessness.

Guettel’s musical numbers provide dramatically revealing acting opportunities which the actors seize and relish, but the numbers also reveal unfortunate vocal weaknesses. Martinez possesses a gorgeous tone but often wavers around pitches in her upper range. Skinner knows her voice well and sounds excellent on “Fable,” but several notes come out pinched in “Dividing Day.” These problems in the vocal performances are minor, but when factored together with the potential of a score as rapturous as Guettel’s proves disappointing. Luckily Grosso sounds fabulous on his numbers, soaring through songs whose Italian lyrics become completely understandable to an English-speaking audience thanks to his effective acting.

Even if the show doesn’t live up to auditory expectations, “The Light in the Piazza” is a feast for the eyes. From scene to scene, richly detailed statues, columns, and ruins elegantly glide into place. Combined with Greco’s ability to create museum-worthy stage pictures, the titular piazza brims with life: children playing, a woman selling flowers, a couple squabbling.

Aside from the modular elements, Andrew Boyce’s scenic design leaves the rest of the stage oddly bare. Blank white walls have curved entryways that suggest arches, but lack the decoration typical of classical Italian architecture. The aforementioned pieces distract from this plainness and make the stage seem vibrant and full. Unfortunately, Yuki Izumihara’s projections emphasize the limitations of Boyce’s design. Rather than create the illusion of a thundering sky, projected clouds draw attention to boxy corners and screen-like flatness.

Greco’s blocking has its limits too. Clara and Fabrizio’s duet “Say it Somehow” — a song whose lyrics like “you trace it on my skin” brim with sensual potential — ends up mostly performed on opposite ends of a large bed, with Martinez and Grosso singing at each other rather than with.

That being said, Martinez and Grosso’s chemistry holds up the song even in the face of strangely unsexy blocking. While this kind of magnetic instant attraction can feel ridiculous, the pair keeps the show’s fanciful setup grounded. Their performances, both charmingly juvenile, passionate, and earnest, fuel the production as a whole: alternately creating stakes for a family vacation and injecting levity as the families descend into conflict.

This connection washes away the production issues too. If the kind of pure, beautiful connection between Clara and Fabrizio could assuage an overprotective mother, it can assuage an audience member.

“The Light in the Piazza” runs at The Huntington Theatre through June 15.

—Staff writer Ria S. Cuéllar-Koh can be reached at ria.cuellarkoh@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @riacuellarkoh.