MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 Opens At On Pitch Performing Arts

No one would put "Murder" and "Comedy" in the same sentence.

No one that is, except John Bishop. The author penned the unique play "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" in 1986, and it premiered on Broadway in 1987. A farcical play featuring a variety of off-the-wall characters, this audience favorite is coming to Layton!

"I'm super excited about directing this show at OPPA!" said director Dan Tate. " This show is a fast-paced, hilarious play with amazing characters and awesome plot twists. It's gonna be a lot of fun. " Dan Tate previously performed in Forever Plaid at OPPA! and was the music director for their production of Aida .

"The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" is not, in fact, a musical. The plot follows the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop (in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious "Stage Door Slasher") assemble for a backer's audition of their new show at the Westchester estate of a wealthy "angel." The house is replete with sliding panels, secret passageways and a German maid who is apparently four different people-all of which figure diabolically in the comic mayhem which follows when the infamous "Slasher" makes his reappearance and strikes again-and again. However, and with no thanks to the bumbling police inspector who snowshoes in to investigate, the mystery is solved in the nick of time and the "Slasher" unmasked-but not before the audience has been treated to a side-splitting good time and a generous serving of the author's biting, satiric and refreshingly irreverent wit.

The show opens Friday, April 12th and plays through April 27th. The cast features Kara Bechtel, Caitlin Olsen, Curtis Waite, Kris Crowl, Joel Badger, Darren Maxfield, Marinda Maxfield, April Daw, Conner Blankman, and Zipporah Copas. Costume Designer Amanda Larsen returns to OPPA! and Elizabeth Crowther joins the production as stage manager.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.onpitchperformingarts.com.