Good music, great gags, and intricate plot make “Lucky Stiff” a hit with audiences

A heart-shaped box, six million dollars in diamonds, a vacation in the south of France, and a dead body. What could be more conducive to romance? An energetic cast easily puts over the very funny farce and enjoyable songs that highlight the musical comedy “Lucky Stiff” at the Fire Hall Theatre in downtown Grand Forks.

The show opened last week and continues this weekend and again next weekend. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday both weekends, plus a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee on Feb. 15. Tickets are $18, or $15 for students and senior citizens.

Based on a novel called “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth, the Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music) stage adaptation originally premiered off-Broadway in 1988. Its plot is reminiscent of the film “Weekend at Bernie’s,” which came out the following year, but “Lucky Stiff” is more complex and a lot funnier, besides having some enjoyable songs interwoven with the plot.

Ben Klipfel does a good job in the leading role as shy, nerdy London shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon, who suddenly gets a telegram that he’s inherited six million dollars from Anthony Hendon, an American uncle he’s never met—but there’s a catch. The uncle always wanted to visit Monte Carlo before he died. The will specifies that Harry must take the skillfully taxidermied corpse of the deceased uncle on a prepaid and preplanned vacation to Monte Carlo, or the money will go to a dog shelter in Brooklyn.

Naturally, he agrees, and sure enough the body shows up (played with impressive restraint by John Ferguson), so Harry bundles him off to France in a wheelchair on what rapidly develops into the adventure of a lifetime.

From this point on, Miss Annabel Glick, a dogged representative of the dog shelter, follows Harry closely on the trip, hoping he’ll slip up on one of the will’s requirements so the money can go to the dogs and save her job. Maura Ferguson handles the role of the lonely but determined woman well, and has some of the best songs (often concerning the advantages of dogs over human relationships). Of course the audience can see a romance brewing a mile off, even if the characters don’t.

Meanwhile, a mild-mannered New Jersey optometrist named Vinnie (hilariously played by Casey Paradies) and his near-sighted domineering sister Rita (aggressively played by an equally funny Beth Laidlaw) decide to follow them as well. Rita, it turns out, is the one who had embezzled the six million from her jealous casino-owning husband for her boyfriend Tony (Harry’s uncle), and she is also the one who shot him (Tony) after catching him in bed with another woman. Now she’s out to get the money back, while her husband has put out a hit on Vinnie because she claimed he was the one who took the money. Laidlaw also gets to belt out some amusing, plot-developing songs.

The complications don’t stop there, however, and neither does the fun. We have a mysterious Italian (a fun performance by Fire Hall veteran Steve Kraft) along for the ride, plus nearly two dozen other characters played with obvious relish, diverse accents, fine singing voices, and some quick costume changes by Dylan Croeker, Jared Kinney, Jessica Haas, and Victoria Bertness.

One of Bertness’ most memorable characters is the slinky, exotic Dominique Du Monaco, who becomes one of the key figures after the action moves to Monte Carlo.

The entire cast throw themselves into their parts with carefree abandon, good comic timing, and very pleasing singing voices. The show was directed by Chris Berg, with musical direction (and accompaniment) by Marlys Murphy, and well-executed choreography by Casey Paradies. The effective and versatile one-piece set was designed by Ben Klipfel with lighting design and tech direction by Lindsay Escobar and Jeff Kinney.

The current production of “Lucky Stiff” is one of the best musicals put on by the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre, ideal entertainment for this Valentine’s Day weekend (or next weekend, too, for that matter). It holds up well against the high standard set by the Crimson Creek Players in recent years (and includes several Crimson Creek personnel). The intimate Fire Hall venue adds even more to this show’s off-Broadway flavor.