review preview musical comedy murders

Review Preview: "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940"

Here you go, fresh and fun, just as I promised,.

Theater review

If you want to go:

What: "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940"

When: through Dec. 9

Where: Bickford Theatre, Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road,

Morris Township

How much: $30l $27 members, $15 students

Info: (973) 971-3706; www.morrismuseum.org

By WILLIAM WESTHOVEN

Staff Writer

With variations of "A Christmas Carol" as common as sidewalk Santas

this time of year, the stage door is wide open for counterprogramming.

The folks at the Bickford Theatre not only have found a way to avoid

what everyone else is doing, they're doing almost everything else with

a single show.

Slapstick comedy, satire, mystery, murder, romance and even a little

music make "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" something of a buffet

for humbugs who have had their fill of Tiny Tim. By the time it's

over, you can even cheer a victory over the Nazis.

Even better, John Bishop's lively tribute to the golden age of pulp

cinema is so rarely seen that most people can enjoy the whodunit

portion of the show, which often is a problem with the recycled

choices made by other revival houses.

Artistic director Eric Hafen has a knack for finding

out-of-circulation mysteries such as "Dead Certain" and "Catch Me if

You Can," both produced here in recent years. Now, he delivers another

refreshing mystery, although he's turned the director's chair over to

Deirdre Yates, who has earned raves for past productions with the

Women's Theater Company and the Celtic Theatre Company, and she's done

another good job with this tricky show.

Patrons also will be hard-pressed to find a weak link among the

10-member cast (five Equity professionals), one of the larger and more

talented ensembles the Bickford has recruited in years.

They assemble at the elegant Westchester County estate of Elsa Von

Grossenkneuten (Angela Della Ventura), a wealthy patron of the

theater. A big-shot producer, Ken De La Maize (Bill Timoney), has

organized a backer's audition of his latest show. The writers, Roger

(John Correll) and Bernice (Georgette Reilly Timoney) and the hired

cast arrive just as a blizzard conveniently snows them in.

This troubles Roger, who notes the creative team is the same as a

fated production shut down by the unsolved serial murders of three

showgirls. But there's no coincidence: Elsa is working with a police

detective (Shaka Malik) to trap the killer.

The masked murderer, however, is one step ahead of everyone. He

commits his first murder within seconds of the opening curtain, and

the body count rises as quickly as Bernice's blood-alcohol level.

Everyone's a suspect, from the German maid, Helsa (Ruth Darey) who may

also be a victim, to the sultry actress, Nikki (Diana Cherkas), who

clearly has fudged her resume. The actors, meanwhile, are eyeing the

ladies. Eddie (Chris Barber), a bad comedian just hoping for a job,

adds Nikki to his wish list, while hunky Irishman Patrick (Christopher

Yates) is focused on Helsa.

Scenic designer Jim Bazewicz is another key member of the production.

His expansive drawing-room set, framed by tall walls of rich, paneled

wood, is as attractive as it is functional. Hidden doors, spinning

bookcases and false fireplaces allow the murderer easy ingress and

egress to and from his prey.

Costume designer Fran Harrison also gets to take a bow the authentic

1940s fashions that add to the considerable visual appeal of this

spirited romp.

Of course, a comedy can't settle for merely looking good, leaving most

of the responsibility to the cast to pull off this complex caper. But

Yates has her crew well-prepared and hitting all of their marks, no

easy feat as the potential victims scurry from one hidden passage to

another in search of their hunter.

Some of the jokes fall victim to the pace, as some punchlines are lost

in the confusion. But there's plenty of humor to go around and the

opening-night audience certainly got its share of laughs.

Barber generated most of the snickers, channeling Bob Hope as the

jittery comic who somehow summons the courage to fight back and win

the gal. Georgette Reilly Timoney is a lovely lush, while Correll gets

the best of Bishop's pen as the jaded music writer.

Fresh and fun are two words not often associated with 20-year-old