By Lynn Venhaus

With the physicality of silent film actors and the verbal dexterity of Abbott & Costello, a delightful duo cavorts with glee for a quick-witted, fast-paced musical comedy, “Murder for Two.”

The rollicking romp that opened Stages St. Louis’ season showcases Jeremiah Ginn in a stunningly agile tour de force as a dozen murder suspects and Ian Fairlee as the eager small-town police officer who wants to get ahead in the department. Could he make detective by solving this case?

The actors are also deft pianists who tickle the ivories while they’re coaxing the audience to laugh at their foibles, for this work includes a dozen songs.

The premise is a surprise birthday party for Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney, thrown by his wife Dahlia, a fretful, melodramatic Southern belle straight out of a Tennessee Williams play. Everybody in attendance is a suspect, all 12 of them.

Joe Kinosian, who wrote the music and co-wrote the book with Kellen Blair, who also wrote the lyrics, borrows the format from old-fashioned murder mysteries. Think Agatha Christie’s one-room setting filled with possible suspects, but then add the wacky charm of a sketch comedy troupe.

The twist of eccentric characters, so prevalent in parodies, such as the 1985 film “Clue” and the 1976 Neil Simon spoof “Murder by Death,” creates a fertile playground for the two actors.

The colorful characters are distinguished through Ginn’s remarkable quick-changes and sleight of hand techniques – whether it’s a pair of glasses, a dance movement, a hat or an accent shift.

Memorable suspects include the deceased’s flustered wife, snooty ballerina Barrette Lewis, the blabby town psychiatrist Dr. Griff, Dahlia’s niece – a pushy forensics student – Steph, bickering married couple (and next-door neighbors) Barb and Murray Flandon, peculiar gung-ho firefighter Henry Vivaldi, and a boys’ choir. Some are too nonplussed about a cold-blooded murder committed right in front of them. Hmmm…

Ginn’s vocal flexibility as he moves between characters’ dialogues is quite something, managing to keep them all distinct. The boys in the choir sounds straight out of a Bowery Boys movie/Little Rascals short, which is obvious in the song “A Lot Woise” sung by Timmy, Yonkers and Skid.

As the fledgling detective Marcus Moscowicz, Fairlee gains the audience’s sympathy in rapid exchanges with his boss, his silent partner Lou, and others on the phone. He wants to do everything by the book, as outlined in his funny “Protocol Says” number.

Ginn’s sprightly delivery gets a workout in the ‘company’ numbers – “It Was Her,” “So What If I Did?” and “Process of Elimination.”

The story, heavy on true crime tropes, liberally adds daffy shenanigans as Marcus tries to narrow down who’s the killer and what could have been the motive. We learn the ‘who’ is immaterial to finding out why. You think you sorta know from the get-go — but you may be surprised because your hunch could be the infamous ‘red herring’ employed in so many mysteries.

The reveal is anti-climactic because the whodunit is secondary to the pair’s goofy antics. Ginn is so animated, he could be a live-action figure at Disney World, reminiscent of vaudeville clowns of a different era. He and Fairlee nimbly volley back and forth like tennis pros if they were ‘50s era Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Ginn, who was a part of the New York cast, blends his considerable skills in dance, song and obviously has dealt with ‘seltzer down his pants.’ He is masterful in switching accents, like Peter Sellers did playing multiple characters in films like “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Pink Panther.”.

While Ginn has the showier roles, Fairlee is as adept with the comic timing in a cagey part. They play off each other well.

Director Michael Kostroff maintained high energy during both acts, and brought out the ingenuity of the work, using as many resources as possible in that confined space.

Ann Beyersdorfer’s sly set, designed to be an author’s mansion in New England, is a well-appointed canvas for the nifty surprises galore, a nod to the Clue game board and every remote country estate where spooky things happen. She has given the actors room to dash around and broaden the action to outside..

And when it’s time for Dahlia’s big show-stopping number, “Steppin’ Out of the Shadows,” a humorous ridiculously over-the-top extravaganza, that’s when Stages ramps up the fun.

The show, which won Chicago’s Jefferson Award for Best New Musical in 2011, was developed at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, then later produced on Broadway.

Because the cleverly constructed play entertains with slapstick, sight gags and slick technical effects, it seems natural to present at mystery dinner-theaters and for inoffensive school plays (never mind that murder is in the title and a few off-color remarks that can be altered.) This show would have been a major crowd-pleaser on the Goldenrod Showboat in its heyday. (Stages’ wildly popular production of the comedy “Clue” — their first-ever non-musical in 2023 was not only an audience hit but an awards magnet).

While both Ginn and Fairlee are skilled pianists, the music isn’t really necessary. They are enjoyable in the roles, with or without the music. And deliver the songs with aplomb. Ginn also served as music director.

The rest of Stages’ tip-top team makes the production flow smoothly. Sean M. Savoie’s lighting always enhances the settings, especially in a mystery where lights suddenly go out and things go bump in the night. Hankyu Lee’s sound design was sharp without any issues. Costume coordinator Erica Jo Lloyd kept up with all the shifts that helped define the characters.

With its zesty vaudeville-style humor, the energetic pair come across as looney, and they’re tuneful, so what’s not to enjoy?

Stages St. Louis presents “Murder for Two” from May 30 to June 29 in the Ross Family Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. .210 E. Monroe Ave. For more information or tickets, visit www.stagesstlouis.org.