Songsters sustain ‘Perfect Harmony’

Originally conceived by Andrew Grosso, who directs this production, “Perfect Harmony’’ was developed in workshops involving a group of actors called “The Essentials.’’ It premiered four years ago at the New York International Fringe Festival, had a solid run on Theatre Row in 2008, and moves to off-Broadway next month.

“Perfect Harmony’’ presents a clash between the all-male Acafellas, who are 17-time national champions (“They inspired that TV show,’’ one character says early on, in an apparent reference to “Glee’’), and an underdog ensemble of female classmates called Ladies in Red (later changed to Lady Treble).

Both teams are even more revved up because this year MTV plans to broadcast the competition. But behind the scenes, inevitably, there is discord and, just as inevitably, across-enemy-lines romance.

The seemingly invincible Acafellas are threatened with the loss of their leader, Lassiter (Robbie Collier Sublett). Tired of the superficiality of a capella and inspired by Beethoven, Lassiter wants the Acafellas to “stop trying to sound so pretty’’ and to instead challenge the nationwide TV audience with “a big fat wad of honest musical truth’’ in the form of new, original songs and a hard-edged approach.

His compatriots — the stiffly aristocratic Philip (Kobi Libii), the silent Jasper (Clayton Apgar), the jock-ish JB (Jarid Faubel), and the nerdy Simon (David Barlow) — aren’t ready to take that step. So Lassiter walks away from the troupe. It gets worse: The Acafellas soon have another problem on their hands that threatens to disqualify them from the tournament altogether.

The girls, meanwhile, fear that their own chances for victory are hindered by the prissy leadership and staid taste of Melody (Dana Acheson). “We’re killing the audience softly with our non-rock songs,’’ one of them complains, to which the malaprop-prone Melody retorts: “We are not doing Def Shepherd!’’