The stakes are high: The team behind a Broadway flop have put together a new show to audition for a wealthy investor (“angel” in theater lingo). Money is on the line. 

But it quickly becomes clear that the real stakes are human lives — under the knife of the “Broadway Slasher,” who murdered three players in the prior show. Now, the slasher is back, striking again during rehearsals for the new staging. To save their show and their lives, the team must solve the mystery by opening night.

“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is “a wonderfully chaotic show full of secret passages, secret identities, and a plot full of twists and turns that will keep people guessing,” said Ben Bolinger, who directs the comic farce. Despite its title, the play is not a musical — it’s a behind-the-scenes peek at preparations for a musical. The show opens next Thursday, January 22, at Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N Fountain, and runs through February 1.

Cast members are Viv Legorreta, Diane Tinker Hurst, Atrau Moore, Ryan Teer, Anthony Larkin-Valdez, Abbigail Luchsinger, Joshua Rosenberg, Ashley McCraken, Duane Ellis, and Ashley Ferrer. Understudies are Nathanial Schmucker and Laura Koerner. 

The play contains mature themes and mild language. General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for military/seniors/students. All seats are $16 on Thursdays. Learn more and buy or reserve your tickets online.

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