Review: THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 at Wichita Community Theatre

Wichita Community Theatre’s latest production takes audiences into a murder-mystery whodunit in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. Directed by first-time solo director Ben Bolinger, this play is a zany, quirky comedy that is just as humorous as it is entertaining.  Written by playwright John Bishop, the production debuted on Broadway in 1987, and it pays homage to the many noir films of the 1930s and 1940s.

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, which is not an actual musical but a fast-paced comedic play,  takes place in the library of a spacious, highly unusual Westchester mansion in December of 1940.  Mansion owner Elsa von Grossenknueten has invited a group of theatrical folks to her home for a backer’s audition for a new musical.  The guests arrive and soon realize that they have been brought together to figure out the identity of the infamous Stage Door Slasher, who had previously murdered three women after performances of a musical comedy they appeared in.  As the troupe begins to put the pieces of the murders together, they come to realize that they are snowed in by a blizzard and that the crime runs far deeper than they had imagined.

WCT’s cast is stellar, and director Bollinger has put together a production with a strong, energetic ensemble, making the play’s material extremely entertaining.  I appreciate the humor and physicality they brought to the characters. Veteran actress Diane Tinker Hurst plays Elsa von Grossenknueten and brings the energy of an old-money, eccentric, batty but delightful heiress to the character.   Tinker Hurst handles all the chaos, silliness, and slapstick with aplomb. Anthony Larkin-Valdez, Ashley McCracken, Duane Ellis Jackson, and Ashley Ferrer create a fantastic group cast as the musical’s director, composer, lyricist, and producer. You believe there’s actual history between them, which makes their bickering, jests, and jabs even more fun to watch.  Some of the best bits involve the players breaking into squabbles and talking over each other while totally ignoring the fact that someone onstage has been murdered. Ellis Jackson is sophisticated and suave, and his facial expressions are a riot. McCracken is revisiting the role that she once played in high school, and her pompous producer character is  “simply divoon.”

Joshua Rosenburg and Abigail Luchsinger are both sweet and appealing as characters Eddie McCuen and Nikki Crandall. There’s fantastic chemistry between the two, and they are sensational at providing both comedic and sincere moments. Credit must be given to Atrau Moore and Ryan Teer, who play Sergeant Michael Kelly and Patrick O’Reilly, respectively. They both pulled off complex accents that would trip anyone up, but the accents solidify their characters and certainly elevate the show’s humor. Moore is making his WCT debut, and I hope we see more of him on stage. Finally, Wichita's favorite and stage veteran Viv Legorreta brilliantly leads the cast as the volatile housemaid, Helsa Wenzel. Legorreta’s strong German accent and crazy antics promise to keep the audience in hysterics.   

Mark Shobe’s basic set design, complete with the appropriate revolving library bookcases and hidden entrances, was handsomely decorated and painted by local artist Hanson Long.  Trevor Andreasen provides a perfectly created spooky sound design for the evening, and Gwen Bolte’s costume design was spot on for a 1940’s winter evening.  Kudos to Todd Reifschneider and Nathan Betzen for their lighting design, which helps evoke the period.  Fight choreographer Joseph Urick is essential in a show with this much physicality.  The multiple fights, stabbings, and the hauling of murdered casualties are indeed made funny in this production.

This production is a great night of theatre, and I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the mood for some lighthearted murder.  All in all, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is a skillfully confounding farce. Can you guess who did it? Who knows. Does it matter? Not a bit.  Just jump on and enjoy the loopy ride.  The play runs from January 22 to February 1 at  Wichita Community Theatre.   Tickets are available on the website  www.WichitaCT.org