For a play centering around a dead body, “Lucky Stiff” aims to exude liveliness. The Williamsburg Players return to the stage throughout February to perform the musical farce, a deliberate effort by the theater company to put on a lesser-known show.
“I don’t want to see the 100th version of ‘My Fair Lady,’ ” said co-director Rosemary Allmann.
The play follows Harry Witherspoon, a shoe salesman played by Stephen Vanorsdale, who must take the body of his recently murdered uncle to Monte Carlo to fulfill his will and secure a $6 million inheritance. As he struggles to convince people that his uncle is alive and well, he must contend with the man’s legally blind, gun-toting ex-girlfriend as she also pursues the money.
“I would like to see our community really come to a new show, a show they don’t know,” said Marcia DiMattia, the show’s other director. “Sometimes, you just need a night out and you just need to laugh.”
The musical marked the first of many collaborations between composer Stephen Flaherty and writer Lynn Ahrens, who also penned the novel that inspired “Lucky Stiff.” The pair later teamed up to create works such as “Ragtime: The Musical” and the Dr. Seuss-inspired “Seussical.”
“The lyrics are very witty,” DiMattia said, lauding their frequent double meanings.
Allmann emphasized that the songs are driven by the characters and their motivations rather than the desire to be catchy.
“And then there’s all the crazy characters who are involved. It’s a little bit over the top, which is great for us,” she said.
For both directors, “Lucky Stiff” is their first time doing community theater. DiMattia previously oversaw Jamestown High School’s theater department; Allman served as musical director there as well as Lafayette High School, in addition to a residency at York County School of the Arts. The Players production features some of their former students, including Kelsey Brown and Jessi DiPette, as the leading ladies.
“They’re so in sync. They have this telepathy,” said DiPette, who plays the trigger-happy ex-girlfriend, Rita La Porta.
She sees “Lucky Stiff” as an ambitious opportunity that builds off her high school experiences with a bigger budget and a more diverse cast.
“It’s fun to sit down with what little downtime you have to watch it all come together,” DiPette said. She anticipates a symbiotic relationship between the audience’s energy and that of the performers onstage. “We’re going to be feeding really directly off the crowd.”
The production is a highly collaborative effort, bringing together actors across a variety of experience levels, spanning ages 13 to 83. The set, inspired by the comic strip adventures of “Calvin and Hobbes,” combines whimsical and realistic elements to surreal effect. With only a handful of weeks to prepare, the cast and crew meet each night to fine-tune each detail.
Allmann said she appreciates the show’s underlying message of living life to the fullest as the protagonist moves from one ridiculous scenario to the next.
“He starts to see life in a different way,” she said, hoping that perhaps those in the audience might, too.
But more than anything, the creative minds behind the production simply hope to make people laugh.
“You could really check your brain at the door,” said Neil Hollands, The Players president who also acts in the show. “It’s a good time and a score that people haven’t heard. I think this is going to be one of our best shows.”
Want to go?
“Lucky Stiff” runs Thursday through Feb. 17 at the James-York Playhouse, 200 Hubbard Lane. Tickets are $20 or $12 for students and are available at williamsburgplayers.org or by calling 229-0431.
