The campaign of “Hope” is making a musical comeback at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. (photo courtesy of Center Theatre Group)

It wasn’t so very long ago that the whole vibe of America was decidedly different. Sure, the vibration of something concerning might’ve been felt if you were paying close enough attention, but most days went by without any serious worries. Egg prices? Stable. Nuclear war? Not gonna happen. Russia? Not a fan.

This idyllic time, just a decade in the past, was the quasi-Camelot of the Obama years. Political opinions aside, the former first family had a certain je ne sais quoi – and that doesn’t even begin to broach the historic nature of their very existence. “44: The Musical” is a satire of this period, so distant in memory yet tangible in heart.

Playing through March 23 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, “44” is not striving for exact accuracy. It is instead playing off that feeling the Obama years conjured up, encapsulated in his “Hope” slogan of the 2008 campaign. With a powerhouse, one-woman Greek chorus called the “Voice of the people” (Summer Nicole Greer) serving as an introduction for “M.F. Obama” (you can figure out what M.F. stands for), we start with Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention speech, which propelled him from a little-junior senator to a presidential frontrunner.

This is where Joe Biden comes in, serving as the story’s absurd, hilarious narrator, telling the story as he remembers it. Chad Doreck is Biden – he tells us his younger appearance is because he’s “Benjamin Buttoning.” The presence of ever-delightful, naïve Doreck is what keeps the absurdist humor flowing at a steady pace. T.J. Wilkins – affecting and reverent as Obama – is the straight man for Doreck’s buffoonery.

Not that Biden is the only over-the-top character in the piece. There’s Lindsey Graham (Jeff Sumner), accentuated by a parasol. There’s a pin-up girl version of Sarah Palin (Jane Papageorge). There’s Mitch McConnell (Larry Cedar), complete with a pony tail and a bad attitude. Of course, Ted Cruz (Michael Uribes) makes appearances, too – not that anyone wants him to. Together, they make up a group determined to keep white conservatives in power. Their token Black man, and yes that’s exactly how they refer to him, is Herman Cain (Dino Shorté) – who figures into the story (in a way that, unfortunately, does not match reality) later.

Within the Obama world, we have the reluctant First Lady Michelle (Shanice), who snaps her husband back to reality whenever necessary, in addition to creating some rather steamy scenes outside the Oval Office. Hillary Clinton (Jenna Pastuszek) is present, too, getting one of the best of the musical’s many 11 o’clock numbers, “My Turn.”

The current guy in the White House never figures in. This show stays squarely focused on the events of the Obama’s first term. Songs like “Filibusters,” “We Got Bin Laden,” and “Brother Abe Lincoln” help illustrate that period between 2008-12.

The only truly serious section comes when the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting occurs. The Republicans offer “thoughts and prayers,” and Obama’s famous use of “Amazing Grace” from the Charleston shooting memorial is referenced. I was moved, and I wondered how they would smoothly get things back to the farcical tone – but I needn’t worry. “44” wants you to smile. It wants you to laugh. The underscore of history does remain ever present, as the resistance to and the importance of racial equality serves as the throughline – the humor has heft to it, as the best social commentary always does.

I imagine that the 2023 Los Angeles engagement of the musical played differently. Under a different administration, the reflection on the Obama years must’ve been nostalgic and heartwarming. Seeing this now, it feels more wistful – almost like a fantasy. The ridiculous tone of the piece feels appropriate, largely because the possibility of an Obama feels like a distant dream.

Even as the boisterous audience – who is encouraged by Biden to clap, shout, cheer and sing out – laughed and applauded, I found tears forming. Does this kind of American dream still exist?

And that’s ultimately the hope of “44.” That it can be performed now is proof that the dream is not dead.

Filing out of the theater, I whispered, “Yes, we can.”

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. For tickets and information, visit centertheatregroup.org.