A California move helps the Orlando Light Opera put on “The Merry Widow.”

Orlando Light Opera has relocated the famed Merry Widow, one of operetta’s most beloved characters, from a fictional European country to California’s Silicon Valley. It’s not as ridiculous as it might sound, thanks to director Eric Pinder’s quirky updating of the story.

Combining that comedy with efficient staging, a bit of pole dancing, live music, Sandra Jo Jones’ fun costumes, and voices that do justice to Franz Lehar’s peppy score creates a smile-inducing date night.

Although the time, place and circumstances differ, the “Merry Widow” story broadly remains the same. A businessman hopes a wealthy widow will marry his employee so her money can be used to benefit his firm. Meanwhile, the businessman’s wife is pursued by his corporate rival — which causes complications for everyone. The update means a note written on a ladies’ fan — a key plot device in the original — is replaced with an email. Hey, that’s progress for you.

The new setting allows the characters to poke fun at the mysteries of the tech world; the businessman’s company “develops software for upcoming platforms,” but he can’t explain what that means. And it allows Jonatan Rodriguez’s Nestor, the businessman’s right-hand man, to make hay with modern sarcasm, uttering lines such as “Let me look for my shocked face.”

Orlando Light Opera benefits from its location at Orlando Repertory Theatre: The set for the Rep’s production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” still frames the stage, and it complements the action of “Widow” nicely. The metallic-colored cogs and gears conjure wealth, industry — and the whirring of the characters’ brains as they fight their lighthearted battle of the sexes.

In the title role, Claire Tendl sparkles when singing such favorites as the “Vilja” song or “Song of the Stupid Rider (The Silly Cavalier).” Yet in her spoken dialogue, she’s not quite merry enough. In that regard, she’s outdone by her charismatic love interest, played by Kevin Romero with a stirringly animated voice and strong comic timing in both line delivery and physical humor.

The good supporting cast creates cheerfully boisterous yet melodious music. (“Women” remains a favorite.) The 15 Space Coast Symphony Orchestra musicians in the pit, conducted by Aaron Collins, produce an inviting sound that is well-balanced with the singers.

The story’s denouement deflated on opening night when the final plot twists were muffled by swallowed line delivery, an issue that sunk a few other jokes. But let’s blame first-show adrenaline for the brief interruptions to this otherwise chipper bit of fun.