SNOOPS SEEK HARMONY IN RIVER CITY MUSICAL

"Murder by Death" meets "Oklahoma!" in the River City Players production "The Butler Did It, Singing," opening tonight at the River City Yacht Club.

A witty and rambunctious put-on of the mystery genre, the tongue-in-cheek musical is populated by very thinly veiled twins of famous mystery writers and characters who from time to time need to express themselves through song and dance.

The hard-boiled Chandler Marlowe (Zachary Morgan), the stereotypically inscrutable Louis Fan (Joseph Myers) and a Holmesian Peter Flimsey (Jeff Quigley) are among the weekend guests invited to Ravenswood Manor, the home of mystery writer Miss Maple (Bethani Vandeven). A Nick and Nora-ish Rick and Laura Carlyle (Aaron St. Claire and Mandy Brooks) also show up along with Father White, played by RCP veteran Rich Behring, who even resembles Father Dowling star Tom Bosley.

Awaiting them are Raechal Cunningham as Rita Eylesbarrow, Miss Maple's hatbox-carrying social secretary, and Claudette Hency as Haversham, who is on parole for "something disagreeable with a hatchet."

Sexy Charity Haze (Janel Mason), a feminist poke at OO7, drops in by helicopter.

This is a big cast for an RCP production, especially one in which everyone often is onstage at the same time.

The writer/detectives snipe about each others' book sales and distrust Miss Maple's motives for inviting them. When a crime occurs, they set about trying to find the culprit while proclaiming, in harmony, "It definitely wasn't me."

"The Butler Did It, Singing" introduces each of the characters through the musical numbers. Musical director/pianist Ann Swanson does a yeoman job of accompanying the singers, many of whom are making their first appearance in an RCP production.

Brooks is particularly good in the Carlyles' duet on "What a Witty Couple?" Mason's scintillating "I Know My Stuff" and Myers' "My Name is ...," in which he complains that people mistake him for many other detectives (none of them Charlie Chan), are near show-stoppers.

Claudette Hency is a hoot as the cockney-speaking Haversham. As Maple, Vandeven gives a solid performance that gives the production a steady center.

The Yacht Club stage is too small for 10 dancers, but the cast makes do. The choreography is by Raina Childers.

Director Susanne Scherer does a good job merely keeping all the actors and actresses from getting in each other's way. The fact that everything makes sense is a bonus.