In a world currently plagued by tragedies of all shapes and sizes, everyone could use a little love. American River College’s fall musical “Amélie” will provide a hilarious (and a little lewd) adventure of hope, quiet selfless kindness and love to all audience members.

The musical, based on the French-language film “The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain,” released in 2008 by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant and book by Craig Lucas, has a run time of about two-and-a-half hours, with one intermission between the two acts, and is directed by ARC Theater Arts Instructor Tracy Martin.

In these two-and-a-half hours, the cast of “Amélie” tells a beautiful story about a young girl who thinks nobody really knows her as she wrestles with herself to find something she didn’t know was there. A fight through tragedy and loss, an introverted and deeply anxious Amélie struggles to open herself up to the beauty of her world. Despite some pervasive sound system issues, the ARC theater department has put on a show that will warm the hearts of audience members.

The musical, rated PG, does contain some off and on stage sexual suggestions, so parents, viewer discretion is advised.

The music of the story was provided by a live orchestra directed by Anthony Marvelli, a professor of music at ARC. The music was strong and confident, which curated stronger voices on the stage. The actors and musicians working together made this show work brilliantly.

Citlalli Velazquez-Godinez plays Amélie Poulain and proved herself a vocal powerhouse in both solo and ensemble work, but really shined in collaboration with Rebekah Daniel, who plays Amandine Poulain and Ethan Mack as Nino Quincampoix.

The on-stage chemistry between Amélie and Nino, seen in songs like “Stay” in the second act, will have audience-goers on the edge of their seats. In the quiet moments of this show, unexpected connections form after Amélie’s life is changed by a news report. Supporting cast such as Andrew Hall as Fluffy the fish, Aurora Leonardis as Suzanne Sacripant, Tanner Eddenfield as Elton John, Dom Mercado as the Garden Gnome and Paige Berlo as young Amélie Poulain, provide heartfelt and hilarious additions to the subplots and hidden moments of this show, crafting a well-balanced experience that feels applicable to audience members.

As incredible as the leads in this show were, they wouldn’t be anywhere without “Amélie”’s supporting cast. The ensemble helped bring this show to life both in the story and outside of it. Vocally supporting the leads, the ensemble adds such a fascinating aspect to this story because they are the foundation of this story. Without the ensemble, this story would not exist. The ensemble also supports the show in a practical way, being in charge of setting and striking the sets between scenes.

This beautiful message about the power of community and human connection comes through in an emotional and touching way as the audience watches Amélie learn that she is loved by her community in ways she could never have dreamed of. This show will fill your cup and bring back a little bit of hope into an uncertain time, asking the audience to take it as a reminder that sometimes, love wins.

There were, however, consistent problems with the sound system and microphones. Feedback was a problem across multiple shows, and stage time that included characters with more complex costumes was often accompanied by scratchy static. However, the actors handled each spike and scratch with grace and professionalism, working through the curveballs with confidence.

While there may have been some problems with the actors’ sound, the overall sound design of the show was thoughtful and effective in moving the show forward, adding texture and depth to this impactful story.

Despite whatever challenges this show poses to its cast and crew, this show is absolutely worth seeing. It was such a treat to see a show that was handled with such love and care by the people who committed to it. As usual, the ARC Theater Department has put on another incredible piece of live theater that connects and binds.

This production runs through October 25, so for more information about “Amélie”’s show times, visit the American River College website.