In the spirit of the classic whodunit, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” uses a zany cast and cleverly contrived plot that leaves you wondering until the last scene.
Although similar to “Clue,” and “Murder By Death,” this farce, the first MSU student production of the year, is just as funny, if not funnier, than the two.
The play, directed by English senior Michael Scott Hunter, takes place in an old mansion in Chappaqua, N.Y. As a blizzard builds outside, the mansion serves as a breeding ground for murder, laughs and mystery.
The owner of the mansion, Elsa Von Grossenkneuten, played by theater graduate student Margaret Schugt, stages an audition in an attempt to catch the “stage door slasher.”
With the help of police officer Michael Kelly, played by theater sophomore Terrence Tatum, Von Grossenkneuten sets up a group of entertainers who were involved in a previous production, the last known place where the “stage door slasher” struck.
By narrowing the suspects down, the two plan to carefully watch each entertainer because everyone is a suspect.
The entertainers - a lyricist, producer, director, musician, an actor and an actress - aren’t aware of what is happening to them until the first murder occurs.
Marjorie Baverstock, the producer played by English freshman Veronica L. Wing, is murdered first, mysteriously stabbed in the back, while the mansion experiences a temporary power outage.
Soon after the entertainers, fearing death, are in an uproar. They find out they aren’t auditioning for a position in a theatrical performance, but for the role of murderer.
The performances in the play are outstanding. All the actors and actresses bring their characters to life.
The most convincing actress was theater senior Caroline Sullivan. Drowning her thoughts and suppressing her fears with wine and bourbon as lyricist Bernice Roth, Sullivan does a great job of persuading the audience that her drunken stupor is legitimate.
Of the two authority figures, Tatum proves he can perform well under pressure and in strange places. Investigating the many secret passageways of the mansion, he helps catch the crafty murderer through his control and reassurance.
Roger Hopewell, played by theater junior Steve Neumann, and Eddie McCuen, theater sophomore Matthew John Alfano, won audiences over with innuendo and subtle humor that provided most of the comedy in the play.
The play is not as easy to figure out as it may seem. Staying true to its mysterious nature, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” boggles minds while comedically twisting stomachs, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats and laughing out loud.
