Fans of fictional detectives like Sam Apade will enjoy "City of Angels," a musical spoof of hard-bitten, womanizing snoops presented by Rockville Musical Theatre through Nov. 19.

Billed as "an adult musical" (due to some revealing costumes and double-entendre lines), "City of Angels" is a slick, glitzy lampoon set in Hollywood in the 1940s. The story deals with Stine, a fiction writer, whose script is being produced for film by Buddy Fiddler, a manic mani- pulator who takes vast liberties with the author's storyline. To add to Stine's frustration, his characters keep asserting themselves and rewriting his script their own way.

Stine's protagonist/detective, Stone, is played with calm gravity by Michael Glenn Harless. Nothing fazes Stone, even his own attempted murder at the hands of two very funny hoods, Big Six (Steve Streetman) and Sonny (Lee Wilkinson).

For its humor, the script relies on hammy acting acting and corny one- liners, like in the description of the sexy beauty whose legs were so long that "only the floor kept her legs from going on forever." Ed Spitzberg and Pat Gibson ahve their funniest moments as fictional characters Lt. Mu- noz and Officer Pasco.

Scott Cooper as Buddy milks his comic role to the limit, providing some of the funniest moments in the show. His duet with Stine (Cyrus McDaniel), "You're Nothing Without Me," is the musical highlight of the evening.

The progress of the plot is confusing at times, with actors doubling and tripling in roles and mingling real scenes with fictional ones. Margaret Allman shines as both Stine's wife Gabby and Stone's ex-fiancee Bobbi; Sharon Di Costanzo as Stone's secretary Oolie and Buddy's secretary Donna is another talented showstopper. McDaniel and Allman are an attrac- tive, appealing couple.