Music, murder & comedy complete play

A bevy of fresh faces star on the Iola Community Theatre stage starting Saturday in, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.”
Five of the 11 actors comprising the ensemble are newcomers to the ICT stage — further proof the local acting pool is continually being replenished.
There’s music, there’s murder and there’s plenty of comedy courtesy of John Bishop’s delightful script.
The plot is simple enough. A group of performers is invited to the mansion of Elsa Von Grossenkneuten in upstate New York, under the pretense of auditioning for an upcoming musical.
Elsa has other intentions. She wants to find the identity of the notorious “Stage Door Slasher,” whose misdeeds ruined a recent Broadway show.
And from the opening scene, it’s evident the slasher is still on the hunt.
Elsa has invited a motley crew of performers, from the out-of-work comedian, Eddie McCuen (portrayed with aplomb by newcomer Justin Chandlee); Nikki Crandall, a not-so-typical chorus dancer (played by the delightful Gabby Lampe); and Patrick O’Reilly, an Irish actor (Whitney Olson) set on landing a role in the musical — we think.
They arrive on a snowy night, making escape impossible.
Not that we want it to.
The actors slowly begin to understand their night of auditions is anything but, courtesy of the eccentric and charming Elsa (Mandy Moyer), whose mansion is filled with a labyrinth of secret doors and hidden passageways.
Other cast members are newcomers Walter Palmisano, as Ken De La Maize, who loves to talk about actors and shows he’s worked on in the past, even if none of the productions have yet been released; Brittany Porter as Bernice Roth, a singer whose true inspiration comes from a bottle (or several) of alcohol; Jeremy Francis, an undercover detective sent to the mansion to help find the killer; and Debra Francis, as a chuckle-inducing Broadway producer.
Completing the ensemble are Sam Terhune as Roger Hopewell, a musical composer who unwittingly helps unravel the series of mysterious occurrences in Case De Grossenkneuten; and Dan Johnson, as the radio announcer.
Last but not least, many of the largest laughs will come from the uproarious Bryan Johnson as Helsa Wenzel, the maid whose murder in the opening scene begins the chain of twists and turns that should leave the audience guessing more than once of who is responsible for the ghastly crimes.
The actors aren’t the only newcomers. Elyssa Jackson, a stage veteran and ICT board member, makes her directorial debut.
The splash of new blood, on stage and off, will create a delightful evening, and assure audiences the Iola Community Theatre is in good hands for now and well into the future.

“THE MUSICAL Comedy Murders of 1940” runs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, and 7:30 p.m. March 27 and 28. Tickets sell for $15 for adults and $10 for students. (Dessert is included). Doors open one hour prior to showtime. Dessert will be served 30 minutes before the curtain rises.