Edwin Peabody directed and starred in last year’s OrSVP production of Good Morning, Bill.
The Orinda Starlight Village Players (OrSVP) bring the second production of their 36th season to the stage starting July 19 with John Bishop’s The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.
The action takes place in a remote Westchester estate as the creative team of a new musical assemble for a backer’s audition in the winter of 1940.
“I enjoy the many layers of intrigue that slowly get peeled away by the outrageous comedy of the production,” says director Edwin Peabody.
Peabody, last seen in OrSVP’s 2018 production of Good Morning Bill, said he is excited to work on this production.
“This is a show about theater, and hits closer to my life than most shows. It both mocks and pays homage to the many performers, directors, writers and producers that populate my life,” says Peabody. “I’m looking forward to the journey through rehearsals, where I get the privilege of watching the cast gel and warm to each other as they create these hilarious and indelible characters.”
Contrary to its title, the show is not a musical. It revolves around the cast and producers of a musical (the composer, lyricist, actors and director) summoned to a large house in the middle of nowhere to impress a potential backer.
When a blizzard cuts them off from the rest of the world, comic mayhem follows as the infamous Stage Door Slasher makes an appearance and bodies start piling up. In this whodunit the list of suspects dwindles as the show progresses.
Performances of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 run July 19 through Aug. 10, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee Aug. 4 at 4 p.m. and one Thursday performance Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.
OrSVP is completely volunteer run and no one at the theater is paid. Anyone who is interested in any aspect of theater and would like to help is encouraged to contact the group at www.orsvp.org or 925-528-9225.
