'The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940'
Melissa Stelter
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Entertainment
Strollers Theatre's latest production, "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" is an energetic, clever comedy with many dark and mysterious twists that serve to intrigue the audience through to the play's conclusion.
The play is set in the library of the home of Elsa Von Grossenkneueten (played by Joan Cappelle), an eccentric patron of the arts who lives with her erratic and mysterious maid, Helsa Wenzel (Liz Angle). Elsa has invited a group of artists to a backer's audition for a new musical, "White House Merry-Go-Round". A handful of actors are in attendance for the audition, including chorus girl Nikki Crandall (Julie Logue) and Irish tenor Patrick O'Reilly (Tony Trout). They are soon joined by flamboyant, name-dropping director Ken De La Maize (Christopher Younggren), pandering producer Marjorie Baverstock (Karen Saari) and the writing team of Bernice Roth (Patricia Kugler Whitley) and Roger Hopewell (Steve Mendez).
After all of the guests arrive, in the middle of a snowstorm, acting hopeful and comedian Eddie McCuen (Matthew Schrader) notes with fear that the individuals summoned to the house are, coincidentally, the same creative minds involved with a production called "Manhattan Holiday," which was struck by tragedy when a killer dubbed the Stage Door Slasher murdered three chorus girls. Shortly thereafter the blizzard knocks out the telephone lines and power to the house and people begin dying one by one as the survivors try to determine who is responsible.
Though the opening dialogue between Elsa and her chauffer-with-another-agenda Michael Kelly (Gary Kriesel) lacked a bit of energy, the pace of the play quickened dramatically once more characters made an appearance on stage. Several of the characters were quirky and memorable, which added immensely to the show's appeal. Eddie McCuen's awkward attempts at flirtation with chorus girl Nikki Crandall are charmingly amusing. Binge-drinking Bernice Roth's banter with co-writer Roger Hopewell provides no shortage of laughs peppered throughout the performance. A fight scene between Patrick O'Reilly and the maid Elsa was excellently choreographed and enthusiastically executed. As the play progresses, it becomes apparent that nearly every character has something to hide, which intensifies the air of mystery as the characters try to simultaneously stay alive and determine the identity of the Stage Door Slasher, in a darkened mansion full of hidden passageways and secret doors.
Throughout the show the characters maintain a level of energy that sweeps the audience into the story. A witty black comedy, "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" is sure to please audiences in search of a funny and thought-provoking murder mystery.
The play is set in the library of the home of Elsa Von Grossenkneueten (played by Joan Cappelle), an eccentric patron of the arts who lives with her erratic and mysterious maid, Helsa Wenzel (Liz Angle). Elsa has invited a group of artists to a backer's audition for a new musical, "White House Merry-Go-Round". A handful of actors are in attendance for the audition, including chorus girl Nikki Crandall (Julie Logue) and Irish tenor Patrick O'Reilly (Tony Trout). They are soon joined by flamboyant, name-dropping director Ken De La Maize (Christopher Younggren), pandering producer Marjorie Baverstock (Karen Saari) and the writing team of Bernice Roth (Patricia Kugler Whitley) and Roger Hopewell (Steve Mendez).
After all of the guests arrive, in the middle of a snowstorm, acting hopeful and comedian Eddie McCuen (Matthew Schrader) notes with fear that the individuals summoned to the house are, coincidentally, the same creative minds involved with a production called "Manhattan Holiday," which was struck by tragedy when a killer dubbed the Stage Door Slasher murdered three chorus girls. Shortly thereafter the blizzard knocks out the telephone lines and power to the house and people begin dying one by one as the survivors try to determine who is responsible.
Though the opening dialogue between Elsa and her chauffer-with-another-agenda Michael Kelly (Gary Kriesel) lacked a bit of energy, the pace of the play quickened dramatically once more characters made an appearance on stage. Several of the characters were quirky and memorable, which added immensely to the show's appeal. Eddie McCuen's awkward attempts at flirtation with chorus girl Nikki Crandall are charmingly amusing. Binge-drinking Bernice Roth's banter with co-writer Roger Hopewell provides no shortage of laughs peppered throughout the performance. A fight scene between Patrick O'Reilly and the maid Elsa was excellently choreographed and enthusiastically executed. As the play progresses, it becomes apparent that nearly every character has something to hide, which intensifies the air of mystery as the characters try to simultaneously stay alive and determine the identity of the Stage Door Slasher, in a darkened mansion full of hidden passageways and secret doors.
Throughout the show the characters maintain a level of energy that sweeps the audience into the story. A witty black comedy, "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" is sure to please audiences in search of a funny and thought-provoking murder mystery.
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