Most tragicomedies in contemporary theatre fall flat because of their overuse of slapstick or awkward asides to the audience (To see what I mean, imagine any Marx Brothers movie in play form).
Unlike its predecessors, however, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” maintains a balance of hilarity and drama without losing its audience to boredom. The truth is, its script — while occasionally inciting groans from the audience — is absolutely au courant. Addressing topics ranging from superficiality in show business to the old adage of judging books (i.e. people) by their covers, “Muscial Comedy Murders” succeeds wholeheartedly as a play and as a morality lesson.
Furthermore, the characters are remarkably detailed, not to mention uproariously funny. Elsa Von Grossenknueten (Joan Cappelle) is throwing a party for cast members of the Broadway play she is financing called “White House Merry-Go-Round.” A wealthy theater patron and the daughter of a spy, Grossenknueten certainly has something mysterious up her sleeve. Her maid, Helsa Wenzel (Liz Angle) is a tempestuous woman whose thick German accent gives everything — and nothing — away. Michael Kelly (Gary Krisel), an intriguingly methodical chauffeur, is hired by Elsa for far more than just a helping hand. The two of them plan to catch the Stage Door Killer, who murdered three chorus girls from the last show Elsa financed.
When the guests arrive, the talent just oozes right in, including Bernice Roth (Patricia Kugler Whitely), an eccentric lyricist who drowns her worries (or secrets) in alcohol, and Eddie McCuen (Matthew A. Schrader), a failed comedian who has a much bigger part to play than expected in this comedy of terrors. Catching his eye is Nikki Crandall (Julie Logue), a quick-witted chorus girl with more to her costume than meets the eye. The egotistical, overly tanned director, Ken De La Maize (Christopher Younggren), drops names as fast as the Stage Door Killer “drops” his victims.
Next to arrive is a simpering Broadway producer, Marjorie Baverstock (Karen Saari), whose problems go far deeper than her cringe-worthy accent leads you to believe. Patrick O’Reilly (Tony Trout), a tenor in the chorus, willingly tells fanciful stories of his Irish homeland and has quite a knack for impersonations. Finally, Roger Hopewell (Steve Mendez) is the flamboyant, overly sensitive composer with suspiciously impressive code-breaking skills.
The play was written by John Bishop (“El Salvador,” “Empty Hearts”), a member of the off-Broadway Circle Repertory Company in New York and founded Los Angeles’ Circle West theater company. He knew his way around a Broadway (and off-Broadway) set, and this play is a grand satire of the follies of it all. Eddie the comedian, for example, is allegedly based off of Bob Hope, whose mystery film “The Cat and the Canary” inspired Bishop to make this play.
Overall, “Musical Comedy Murders” is nothing if not entertaining, and the actors do a wonderful job of developing their respective characters’ flaws and quirks. Whitely is wonderful as Bernice, and Schrader, playing Eddie, was hilarious as the oft-joking 10th wheel who eventually proves his worth when the situation most required it.
Of course, there were performances that fell short of perfection. Krisel could have practiced his lines a bit more, and Saari’s acting was a tad too melodramatic for the tone of the play. However, all the actors involved played their parts to the best of their abilities, making for a wonderfully entertaining show.
The story, with many twists and turns and new characters springing up every which way, focuses on the development of relationships, the one-dimensionality of Broadway and show business in general. Getting to the top is difficult, but staying there (and maintaining a sense of dignity) is even harder. With something for everyone, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” offers guffaws and revelations alike.
“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is running through Nov. 21 at Madison’s Bartell Theatre.
