Ace runs at Signature Theater through Sept. 28.

Signature Theater's Broadway-bound musical Ace has a story that is so much more appealing than its lyrics, that it's tempting to wonder whether the whole thing might have worked even better as a play.

Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker have crafted a tale that reveals itself bit by bit, almost like a detective story. It centers around the ancestry of a young boy, Danny, who never knew his father. The boy (and the audience) are gradually given clues to a story his mother (from whom he has been separated after she attempted suicide) desperately wants him to learn. The story is interwoven with tales of flight — the exhilaration of being in the air, dreams of heading to space, the tragic risks taken by fighter pilots.

The slow-reveal nature of the story keeps the suspense high, and composer Richard Oberacker has written melodies that, while not particularly innovative, certainly add up to a solid Broadway-style score. The lyrics, however, fall below the bar set by the rest of the work. There's clumsy rhyming ("It's suddenly apparent that I'm going to be a parent"), for example, and an over-reliance on cliches about flying. Another problem — the characters' inner and outer monologues are too spelled out, too on-the-nose, in effect transforming even children into something much more self-aware than seems at all credible.

Some phrases are so predictable and simplistic that one hopes the song will soon pass so we can get back to the intriguing plotline. Not every musical number, though, is lackluster. Danny's mother in her youth is coquettish and vibrant outlying her journalistic dreams in "It's Just A Matter of Time", which segues nicely into the jazzy duet "I Know It Can Be Done". "We're The Only Ones" is a rousing battle anthem, and "In These Skies" is a classic Broadway aspirational anthem.

Clunky moments aside, it's easy for Ace to pull at the heartstrings, particularly because it has two children (played by a pair of talented youngsters) at its center. As Danny, Dalton Harrold may not be a vocal prodigy, but his performance seems very authentic, whether he's shooting a deadly glare at the world around him or gleefully submitting to the adventure tale he's hearing. Angelina Kelly's Emily is more practiced and yet wholly adorable — she's an absolute scene-stealer donning detective gear during the Nancy Drew-inspired "Now I'm On Your Case".

The kids are surrounded by a high-caliber cast of adults, particularly Jill Paice as Elizabeth, Danny's mother. Paice starts out reserved and haunted, then completely transforms into a confident, sexy shadow version of her former self, finally pouring raw anguish into her lament, "That's What It Should Say". Two of last year's Witches of Eastwick have supporting roles here — Christiane Noll as Ruth, a central figure of the story's flashbacks, and Emily Skinner as a nervous but well-intentioned housewife who can't quite pull off Donna Reed ("Make It From Scratch", a challenging patter number she delivers well). The set is steely, smart and strange — it seems a cold backdrop for a child's bedroom, but is impressively serviceable during the show's airborne sequences.

Ace is reportedly Broadway-bound following its Signature run - one hopes it doesn't suffer the fate of the theater's last New York Effort, Glory Days, which closed after one performance. Taylor and Oberacker have some lyrical homework to do before they head to the Great White Way.

Ace runs through Sept. 28 at Signature Theater. Tickets are available online.