Poking fun at ‘40s fare

“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is playwright John Bishop’s farcical valentine to the pre-World War II days of Hollywood’s penchant for horror and mystery movies, often with complex plots long on subterfuge and short on cohesion.

As presented at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, it’s a gleeful romp through a long-ago genre with some of the most outrageous characterizations (or caricatures) you’ll see on any stage. The script may be thin, but the performances -- and often the accents -- are quite thick.

Director Michael Dale Brown and co-director/actor Roger Mexico have woven this topsy-turvy tapestry into a freewheeling farce that borrows from Agatha Christie by way of Mel Brooks. It may not be “Something’s Afoot,” a much superior takeoff on the same subject matter, but it’s an imaginative effort that elicits laughter on the corniest of punch lines or sight gags.

The plot is a Hollywood standard -- several people are invited to an old mansion on a dark and stormy night, ostensibly to work on a new musical comedy for Broadway but, in fact, to ferret out a killer. Seems the last show all these people worked on together found three chorines falling victim to the “Stage Door Slasher,” who apparently is among the invited guests.

This being 1940, however, there’s an added element of Nazism in the mix, and as usual, not everyone is what he or she seems to be. When the disguises start dropping, so does the play’s sense of continuity, and pandemonium reigns supreme.

The hostess with the unpronounceable German name (Teri Ciranna) has enlisted a policeman (Tom Mazzone) to investigate her guests in the guise of a chauffeur. On the top of the list is the Teutonic maid (Kyle Myers in drag), who seems to appear just about everywhere and is in on everything that goes on.

The new show’s composers are a pair to draw to. Jason Holland, in a purple robe, is a ringer for Nathan Lane as he flounces through his scenes, while Stephanie Schulz is a lyricist living a lush live with her ever-present bottle.

There is a second-rate comic (Ed McBride), thrust inadvertently into heroics, who has wide eyes for the pretty young dancer (Laura Lindahl), who also has a hidden agenda. Mexico engulfs himself in an Irish accent as another actor, while Lewis Leighton enacts the director with a long list of unreleased movies and Margaret Vandenberghe is a stuffy potential backer.

Despite some moments when the show’s timing sags, the Costa Mesa cast manages to keep the comedy coming, along with the hokey horror. Ciranna is a genuine treat as the haughty hostess, while Myers is a real hoot as the furtive maid. Holland’s continual swishing and McBride’s futile attempts at zinging the punch lines also pay off quite nicely.

The setting, with its array of secret passages, reflects the imagination of designers Kathy and Steve Endicott, with the latter also furnishing some intricate lighting effects. Period costumes by Evelyn and Ryan Holihan also work quite well.

There’s not much music in “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” but there’s plenty of comedy -- and, of course, murder. And you don’t have to be over 65 to appreciate it.

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

* WHERE: Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, 611 Hamilton St., Costa Mesa

* WHEN: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. until Nov. 20

* COST: $15 - $18

* INFO: (949) 650-5269

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear Fridays.