While it helps, "Having no talent is not enough," a veteran stripper tells the future Gypsy Rose Lee as the young woman searches for a path to stardom.

There is no shortage of talent in Civic Theatre of Allentown's production of "Gypsy, A Musical Fable," continuing through Oct. 27. William Sanders directs the fast-paced musical based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents.

Morgan Reilly as Louise, aka Gypsy Rose Lee, brings elegant beauty and charm to the title role. Reilly's singing ("Little Lamb," "The Strip") and strong performance is wonderful as she gets in touch with her inner ecdysiast.

Rose (Traci Ceschin), Louise's quintessential stage mother, lives her own dreams through her daughter's transformation from bit player on the fading vaudeville circuit to headliner in gritty bump and grind houses.

Ceschin delivers a tour de force with her big singing voice ("Some People," "Everything's Coming Up Roses"). Her performance is mesmerizing.

Young players come to the fore as they depict the early life of Baby Louise (August Fegley) and her sister Baby June (Jessica Sturm). Little blonde beauty Sturm gets smiles and laughs with her high kicks and squeaks. She and Fegley offer a sweet rendition of "Let Me Entertain You."

The older June is played by strikingly lovely Meredith Lipson, who leads a fun scene, singing "Dainty June & Her Farm Boys."

Crotchety Miss Cratchitt (Roseann Damico-Schatkowski) gets plenty of laughs as an agent's secretary and gatekeeper.