Remains to Be Seen: “Lucky Stiff,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through March 7

There must be something about being a wistful, awkward Englishman that incites strange intrigue and adventures with alluring women. Either that, or it’s a trope that’s appeared in at least four shows I’ve seen. And so it is in Lucky Stiff, the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse’s current offering.

Based on Michael Butterworth's 1983 novel The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, this musical is a crisp, lively, light farce, and oodles of silly cartoony fun, so suspend your disbelief. It’s also by the Tony-winning team of Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music), who wrote Ragtime and Seussical, among other stage hits. Ahrens, incidentally, is also a composer and singer, and if you were near a TV on Saturday mornings in the '70s or '80s, you probably heard her catchy ditties on Schoolhouse Rock! Director/choreographer Ashley Becher and musical director Ethan Hayward, alongside their wonderful crew and energetic, talented crème de la crème cast, elevate the solid script and score into the realm of delight.

Brad Hauskins, a Circa '21 favorite who has enlivened countless stage productions, portrays the title character: Tony, a wealthy American who’s dead throughout the entire show. Well, he does get to sing and dance in the opening number, during which he is fatally shot, subsequently whisked abroad in a wheelchair, and slumps at inopportune, well-timed moments. He also sings and dances a bit more, because, ya know … it’s a comedy. At first, I was sure that someone on the Lucky Stiff team had seen Weekend at Bernie’s and decided that dragging a corpse around would make for a good musical. This show, however, premiered in April 1988, and that dead-body flick didn’t start shooting 'til four months later.

Anyway. Tony’s $6 million fortune goes to his English nephew Harry, played by the reliably fantastic Bobby Becher, who in this role has an endearing, self-effacing quality à la Alan Tudyk's in Firefly. The catch, for Harry, is that he only gets the dough on the condition that he … . No, not spend the night in a haunted mansion; far too easy. But that he take the taxidermied Tony on a lavish spree in millionaire-plagued Monte-Carlo, continually convincing strangers that his uncle is not deceased, but rather an “invalid.” If Tony's nephew doesn’t follow the ambitious itinerary exactly, the bequest instead goes to a canine rescue. As Harry is attacked by dogs daily outside his shabby flat, spite is an incentive almost as powerful as avarice.

Harry also has more to overcome than wheeling the admittedly dapper cadaver from posh restaurant to opulent casino. Back in Atlantic City, the morally ambiguous Rita (Sarah Hayes) had embezzled the aforementioned six mil and accidentally shot Tony, and is consequently after Harry to get the money back. She explains it all in a hilarious duet with her brother Vinnie (Jeremy Littlejohn), titled “Rita's Confession.” As she’d previously told the mob that Vinnie took the money, he has a compelling reason to accompany her abroad.

Also hounding Harry from one ritzy joint to another is Annabel (Megan Mistretta), a sweet, fish-out-of-water lass who’d much rather be at home with a lovable pup, as she winningly explains in “Times Like This.” You see, she’s from that dog rescue, voluntarily auditing Harry’s will-mandated tasks, watching for the tiniest slip-up so her pooches can get those six million bones instead.

Another figure benevolently plaguing Harry and Tony is the gregarious Luigi (Paul Gregory Nelson), popping up wherever they are and urging them to party heartier. The magnifique ensemble of four are Cara Chumbley, Kiera Lynn, Kyle DeFauw, and Topher Elliott, stalwarts who appear throughout in a variety of roles – landlady, punk, tourist, waiter, gambler, maid – with occasional assists from other actors. Chumbley strikingly portrays Dominique, an enticing cabaret singer/dancer who enthralls the crowd with “Speaking French,” and also serves as the butter over Harry’s hot English muffin. DeFauw plays the emcee in that scene, singing compelling anthems to “Monte Carlo!”

Lucky Stiff's visuals also exhilarate. Set designer and scenic artist Becky Meissen triumphs with her versatile multi-level playing space. It's a cheery mash-up of golden Art Deco lines filled in with a tasty, textured '80s palette: teal, cobalt, and fuchsia, punctuated with purple, a little orange, and luscious shades of green. With furniture brought on and off, the platforms, stairs, sliding doors, curtains, color-changing light panels, and a strip of chaser lights transform the space into a train car, high-roller’s suite, and cabaret stage. Brief scenes played at the sides without the color-explosion backdrop, in Harry’s tatty crib and an optometrist’s office, are realistically dressed to impress.

Ashley Becher's briskly paced Lucky Stiff, at the January 22 preview I attended, is a trim two hours including intermission, and not counting dinner – which is, dare I say, to die for. New chef Tim Rodden won my heart with his chicken Marsala, rice pilaf, and roasted Brussels sprouts. But then again, the whole night was delicious. Who knew a body could have this much fun?

Lucky Stiff runs at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL) through March 7, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.