At Act II Playhouse, “Say Goodnight, Gracie” by Rupert Holmes is a one-man show, where you go inside the singular world of George Burns and Gracie Allen. This absorbing drama about their life together takes you on a whirlwind tour of America’s entertainment industry in the 20th century.

In an opening scene, a 100-year-old George Burns is deceased. With signature cigar in hand, he auditions his life story before God, hoping to reunite with his beloved, predeceased wife, Gracie.

The show picks up steam as you follow Burns from his beginnings in the Lower East Side to his teaming up with Gracie and their rise inside the entertainment industry, from vaudeville to radio, cinema and television.

Tony Braithwaite directs and stars in a fast-paced, 80-minute show. Braithwaite has played “Goodnight” in other venues. He seems to love this comedy team as much as George loved Gracie. An outstanding mimic, Braithwaite captures Burns’ gravelly, measured voice that forces you to take in his sardonic drift.

Born Nathan Birnbaum in 1896, Burns was one of 12 children. The entire family was crammed into a three-room tenement; a solitary stove doubled as the only heat source, and the weekly bath was a memorable adventure. After his father died suddenly, Nathan became “the good boy,” earning money by selling papers and shining shoes. At the age of 8, he discovered he could earn more pennies by singing in the Pee Wee Quartet with his chums. Thus began a century of life in showbiz.

As he scratched his way onto the vaudeville stage, Nathan changed his name, as did fellow Lower East Side hoofers like Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice and the Marx Brothers. Then, in 1922, George Burns met an Irish Catholic girl named Gracie Allen.

The production makes dramatic use of a wide video screen on the stage-right eave. You see a huge portrait photo of Gracie as a young vaudevillian, a beautiful woman with dark, lustrous hair. Braithwaite stays tongue-in-cheek to hide George’s desperation as he tries to beat out a more dashing, rival hoofer named Ben Ryan (best known for writing the novelty song, “When Frances Dances With Me”).

Gracie found George more “reliable,” and they married in a civil service in 1926. While Gracie remained a practicing Catholic, religion was never an issue. After forming their vaudeville act, Mrs. Birnbaum was more impressed with Gracie, only saying, “Nattie was always such a good boy.” And when Gracie told her mother that George was Jewish, her mother replied: “He’ll get over it.”

Audience responses soon informed George that Gracie was the funny one, so he became the straight man. When vaudeville drew inspiration from Chic Young’s “Dumb Dora” comic strip, Gracie became “the ditzy girl.” But Gracie stood out because her delivery and “illogical logic” radiated a keen wit that laughed at the stereotype itself.

Wearing his director’s hat, Braithwaite enlivens the show with video. You see Burns and Allen at the Palace Theatre, hear them on a cathedral radio (a 1930s-era table radio styled to look like a cathedral), glimpse scenes from movie appearances, then finally segue to TV, where they starred from 1950 to 1958. You see George with his best friend, Jack Benny. You even see Gracie running for president on “The Surprise Party” ticket in 1940 (she got thousands of write-in votes).

And you learn about their personal troubles, but the joy Burns and Allen took in live performance overshadows everything. Theirs is a story of love and survival. “Say Goodnight, Gracie” is a window onto a vanished world as well as a graceful and charming biography.

Act II Playhouse is located at 56 E. Butler Ave, Ambler. “Say Goodnight, Gracie” will run through May 3. Tickets available at 215-654-0200, or online at act2.org.