Deadly delight
Comedy has perfect pitch
by Christopher Key
Several years ago, I had the privilege of performing in a wonderfully wacky murder mystery called The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. I think it was my second show at the Bellingham Theatre Guild and it was directed by Teri Grimes. As a result of that experience, I decided to follow her anywhere, whether she blew in my ear or not.
Grimes has brought the show back with her students at Bellingham High School and it’s just as wildly funny as the BTG version. Despite the title, there is very little music involved. John Bishop’s 1987 script is about a group of people gathered for a backer’s audition, trying to convince a wealthy “angel” to provide financial support for a Broadway musical. True to the genre, they come together in a spooky old house during a blizzard. Guess what happens next.
Part of the charm of the show is a set that features secret passages, murderous books and a magic closet. This is quite a challenge for any theatre, but Grimes and her technical students bring it off with grand style. While I’m passing out technical kudos, the spooky lighting design is also a winner.
The show opens with the mysterious, black-hooded slasher perforating Helsa, the maid. Only Helsa won’t stay dead. Olivia Shrum portrays Helsa (and several sausage-selling siblings) with manic energy and truly understands how to make a dramatic exit. Repeatedly and hilariously. Helsa’s employer and the host of the gathering is Elsa von Grossenkneuten, played to ditzy perfection by Devon Younger.
The cast of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 tries to determine who did what to whom and in what key.
Andreas Hewitt has the unenviable task of playing O’Reilly, an Irish tenor who is also an Italian or perhaps a German spy. The changing accents are an enormous challenge and Hewitt brings them all convincingly. As Hollywood director Ken de la Maize, Adam Bigelow is delightfully sleazy, dropping B-movie names that no one under the age of 60 will remember.
Jamie DuBois plays undercover cop Michael Kelly with a deadpan delivery that is dead-on, if not always audible. Nikki, a chorus girl who is a lot more than she seems, is charmingly portrayed by Lizzie Overstreet. Andrew Ibach, who recently blew everybody away in Brighton Beach Memoirs, is perfectly cast as Eddie, a cornball comedian whose most appreciative audience is himself.
There’s a music and lyrics team trying to avoid yet another flop. Roger, the musician, is slightly light in his loafers and played with obvious delight by Kell Brauer. Bernice is his lyricist and derives much of her inspiration from the spirits. Bottled ones. Hannah Lierman brings boozy gusto to her portrayal.
Ashley Hanson is simply “divoon” as Marjorie, the wealthy backer everyone is trying to impress. Her face-plant in the footstool when she is offed is a thing of beauty. Hanson also co-directed the show along with Grimes.
In order to get more students onstage, there are two separate casts for this show. If the “Bluebird” cast is as solid as the “Robin” cast I saw, you’ll want to catch both. As always with a Teri Grimes show, there is a lot of sly and occasionally raunchy humor. Nothing I wouldn’t take my grandkids to see.
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 plays November 19 – 29 at the Bellingham High School Theatre. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for evening performances, 2:00 p.m. for matinees on November 22 and 29. Admission is $8 across the board.
Yes, we’re all familiar with the plot, but this version is brilliantly…umm…executed.
# # #