Man meets woman. Woman is repulsed by man. Woman falls in love with man.

That’s the recipe for more than a few hit Broadway musicals.

“Guys and Dolls,” which brings to a close Stages St. Louis’ 23rd season, follows that formula well, but it also gives us a little something extra. More relatable and modern than “The King and I.” More glitzy and substantial than “The Music Man.”

Set in Manhattan in the 1930s, the show tells two love stories: one of a mismatch made in heaven, and another of a woman and her noncommittal fiancé.

The result of a bet, high-roller Sky Masterson (Edward Watts) falls for Sarah Brown (Kate Fisher). As a missionary with Save-A-Soul, a Salvation Army-like organization, she’s totally not his type. But it’s easy to see where the relationship is headed.

During a night in Cuba, Sky sweeps Sarah off her feet. But is she really in love, or is it just the Bacardi talking?

Meanwhile, obsessive gambler Nathan Detroit (David Foley Jr.), who sounds eerily like Nathan Lane, has been engaged to Adelaide (big-voiced Julie Cardia), a singing, dancing headliner at the Hot Box, for 14 years — so long that she’s been forced to tell her mother they were married 12 years ago and that they’ve since had five children.

Adelaide finally convinces Nathan that they should elope. But first Nathan must prove to Adelaide that his gambling days are behind him.

Enter Nathan’s craps-playing pals Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Edward Juvier), Benny Southstreet (Steve Isom), Rusty Charlie (Ben Nordstrom) and Harry the Horse (Paul Pagano), who are all shown the errors of their ways by Sarah and her Save-A-Soul mission.

Herschel Sparber joins the cast as Big Jule, a role he played in the Broadway revival of “Guys and Dolls.” His presence (big) and voice (deep) provide lots of laughs and recurring gags.

The actors all have superb voices, which are beautifully showcased in the many tunes that have become so well known. The sound and music quality (no live musicians — it’s a synthesized orchestration) aren’t the best, especially during some of the numbers that really ought to feel a lot bigger.

But the actors are singing their hearts out, especially in “The Oldest Established,” “Adelaide’s Lament,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” and “Marry the Man Today.”

In “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” we’re treated to one of the many things at which Stages consistently and notably excels: production numbers.

The scenic design — which takes us to places like Broadway, the Hot Box, Cuba, Sarah’s mission and even a sewer — is big and bright and makes the intimate theater feel 10 times larger.

“Guys and Dolls” just might teach you a few lessons about compatibility and that the old adage really is true: Opposites attract.