AUBURN – What do you get when you cross some corny Catskills shtick with four funny nuns on a cruise ship?

Community Little Theatre’s production of “Meshuggah-Nuns,” of course. And this curious mix of Catholic and Jewish humor, the fifth installment of the popular “Nunsense” series, is sure to delight fans of the lovable and laughable Little Sisters of Hoboken.

The show, which opened to audience acclaim this weekend, runs through March 20.

This is good old-fashioned vaudeville, and the talented cast puts some delightful twists on many familiar bits from previous shows. The “Nunsense” formula calls for spotlight numbers featuring each nun, and ones with all of them together. This time, they’re joined by a male performer, a Jewish actor on board to play Tevye in the cruise ship’s staging of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Pattie Jo Gravel gives a solid performance as Reverend Mother, whose efforts at maintaining decorum among the sisters is sometimes sidetracked when her thinly concealed theatrical ambitions bubble up.

Her Sophie Tucker impersonation for “My Fat Is My Fortune” could become a rallying anthem for dieters everywhere.

Gravel also teams up with John Blanchette, ably portraying actor Howard Liszt (Tevye), on a bouncy musical language lesson called “Say It in Yiddish.”

Gospel good to go

Pam Vaillancourt returns in the role of Sister Mary Hubert, which she played in CLT’s first “Nunsense” several years ago.

“Rock the Boat” is the show’s appropriate finale in which Vaillancourt, with the rest of the cast as backup, gives a rollicking gospel-style send-off.

Eileen Messina puts the appropriate rough edge on the role of Sister Robert Anne, a streetwise Brooklyn kid who finds her true calling in the convent. Messina and Blanchette reveal their soft sides in a delicate duet called “A Love Like This,” in which the actor sings of his wife and Sister Robert Anne sings of a similar love found in her dedication to the religious life.

Messina also solos capably on another fine number called “I’ll Find a Song To Sing.”

Sister Mary Paul (aka Amnesia) is played by Rhonda Trask. Aided and abetted by Sister Mary Annette (an irrepressible puppet who gets away with saying just about anything), Trask works the clueless comments of the ditzy sister for all they’re worth. She’s a lot of fun, too, in her presentation of an audience-participation magic act.

A bow to plot lines from earlier shows is in Sister Mary Paul’s country-western number, “My Ship.” Trask does a fine job with the catchy number about her dumb luck, “I may have missed the boat, but my ship keeps coming in.”

The puppet also steals some scenes in a Mae West skit and song with Howard called “Come Up and See Me Some Time.”

Several ensemble numbers spoof a variety of music styles. Vaillancourt, Messina and Trask are hilarious as Andrews Sisters clones in “Three Shayna Maidels,” a takeoff on the Jewish princess image.

Blanchette leads the troupe in a rousing “Potchky Polka” and a parody of the Village People’s “Macho Man” called “Matzo Man.” Blanchette pulls off some other Jewish jokes in “Fiddler” takeoffs called “If I Were a Catholic” and “Contrition.”

Squid amid storms

The first act finale is a spoof of cinema ship disasters. In an elaborate production number titled “Das Boat,” the wacky cast encounters storms, sharks, giant squid and a nun as Shelly Winters. The small onstage orchestra led by Paul Caron also deserves commendation for its good work.

Director Tim Pinkham is hoping that word of this ecumenical irreverence will entice many members of L-A’s Jewish community to see this show. He said area Catholics love the way the “Nunsense” shows poke fun at them, and “Meshuggah-Nuns” offers equal opportunity to the Jews.

“Meshuggah-Nuns” is at the Great Falls Performing Arts Center, Academy Street, at 8 p.m. on Saturday and March 11, 12, 18 and 19. Sunday matinees are 2 p.m. on Sunday and March 13 and 20. Tickets are $15 and $13. They may be reserved by calling the box office at (207) 783-0958 or may be purchased online at www.laCLT.com.