By Wendy Carson

Actors Theatre of Indiana presents the musical comedy, “Lucky Stiff,” with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Steven Flaherty.

I dare say that at least 90 percent of our readers may never have heard of this stage musical. Probably fewer have seen the heavily panned 2015 film. That is for good reason, it does not possess a strong book which could use some major revisions. However, the songs are decent and although the premise is over-the-top and problematic (think “Weekend at Bernie’s” meets “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”), a very talented cast can make this flawed stone shine like a diamond. Luckily, director Lysa Fox has compiled an exemplary ensemble who manage to eagerly bring forth all the zany humor the script offers.

The opening number lets us onto the fact that somebody has been murdered. We then meet our hero, Harry (Jacob A. Butler), a lonely schlub working at a London shoe store, yearning for adventure. Then, a telegram arrives at his boarding house alerting him that his Uncle Anthony in the U.S. has died and being the only heir, he must go claim the inheritance.

At the lawyer’s office, he swears to uphold his uncle’s wishes in order to receive six million dollars. He then receives a tape player with instructions, a small stipend, and the taxidermized body of his uncle (Sam Arce), which he must take (along with a mysterious heart-shaped box) on a week’s vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he not fulfil the itinerary, the money will go to The Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. Given his current situation – including the annoyance of aggressive mutts outside his home – he will do anything to prevent those dogs from getting their paws on that money.

From here on we meet a revolving cast of characters including Annabel (Logan Hill), a bookish all-American young woman determined to get the money for the Dog Home; Rita (Diana O’Halloran), Anthony’s vain and legally blind lover who embezzled the six million dollars in question from her own husband, converted it to diamonds, and, before he could run away with Anthony instead shot him in a fit of jealousy; Vinnie (Brett Mutter), Rita’s optometrist brother who must come along because she told her husband that he stole the diamonds; and Luigi (Thomas J. Cannon), a very nosy local on the Riviera who is determined to accompany Harry and his uncle throughout their adventures.

John Vessels Jr., Josh Maldonado, Nathalie Cruz, and Hannah Boswell round out the cast playing all the other oddball characters needed. However, these four are so skillful and versatile, they are truly the grit that makes the production shine.

Cruz’s turn as Dominique, a sassy chanteuse, brings out all her sultry talent and singing chops. Boswell gets her chance to shine as Harry’s nosy landlady intercepting the life-altering telegram as well as starring in a hilarious nightmare. Maldonado brings to life a bevy of hilarious goofy characters. As for Vessels, I am convinced this man could read a phone book and have you in stitches; his turn as the Monte Carlo emcee is a sheer delight.

Arce, as the titular “Stiff,” shows incredible skill in being absolutely still and unresponsive with all the mayhem going on around him. However, he does also get a dance break.

Musical direction is by Brandon Vos, choreography by Carol Worcel, and interesting stage design – colorful, with plenty of doors to slam – by Jay Ganz.

So, turn off the news, ignore the weather, and hop a ride along to sunny, funny, Monte Carlo to just escape reality and have a good laugh. “Lucky Stiff” runs through Feb. 15 (yes, the show has a romantic subplot, making this a potential Valentine’s date) at The Studio Theater in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get tickets at atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.