‘Lucky Stiff’

If you think that the 1989 flick “Weekend at Bernie’s” is the ultimate comedic artwork about people attempting to pass off a cadaver as having a pulse, Heather Keller wants you to think again.

Keller, the assistant director of Thibodaux Playhouse’s final offering of the 2006-07 season “Lucky Stiff,” describes the farcical play as ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ set to music.”

“The corpse is onstage for just about the entire show,” she said cheerfully.

The character that puts the stiff in “Lucky Stiff” is casually murdered in the opening scene, while upbeat music plays over the theatre sound system, she said.

The musical is running Thursday, July 19, to Sunday, July 22, and Thursday, July 26, to Sunday, July 29, at the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center (314 St. Mary St. in Thibodaux). Show times are at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. shows added on Sundays.

The production is being directed by Blake Petit, who is Keller’s brother. Petit, 29, is directing his third show for Thibodaux Playhouse.

With “Lucky Stiff,” Keller, 25, is co-directing her first production, though she has done lighting and sound effects on previous shows with the Playhouse. Keller, who produces commercials for Charter Media in Thibodaux, also worked backstage on the 2000 Nicholls State staging of “Complete History of America Abridged.”

She is also the choreographer for “Lucky Stiff.”

The plot of “Lucky Stiff” involves a meek, dog-loving shoe salesman in England named Harry Witherspoon who learns that he will inherit $6 million from an American uncle he has never met if he transports his uncle’s corpse to Monte Carlo for one last gambling outing. If he does not perform the task, the money would go to the Universal Dog Home in Brooklyn, his uncle’s favorite charity.

Needless to say, Harry is being played for a naif by people attempting to transport contraband. In fact, the ubiquitous corpse may not even really be Harry’s uncle.

“Lucky Stiff” has six main characters, and four supporting players. Most of the cast are veterans of the Thibodaux Playhouse stage. Shane Carson plays Harry, while Ronee Garcia and Paul Cook portray shady types. Garcia is also the play’s vocal director.

Toni Guidry is Annabel Glick, a representative from the Universal Dog Home who harasses Harry.

John Griffin plays mysterious interloper Luigi Gaudi, who is more familiar to Harry than he could guess.

Not to give the plot away, Luigi and the cadaver were played by the same actor in the original production of “Lucky Stiff.” In Thibodaux, Keller said, “Instead of using a dummy, the recorded voice of Harry’s uncle is done by the same guy who plays Luigi.”

Hugh Caffery promises to sparkle as the body. Seriously, during a nightmare sequence, the cadaver gets to show some spirit when it rises out of its wheelchair and dances. Disappointingly, the body remains a captive of rigor mortis for the rest of the show.

For fur-phobic audience members, the Thibodaux production has no canines, but the audience will hear recordings of dogs.

“Lucky Stiff,” which opened off-Broadway in 1988, has music by Stephen Flaherty, and book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. The show was the pair’s first to be produced.

The original staging contained nearly 20 songs, and Thibodaux Playhouse plans to do all of them.

“Eighty percent of the story is in the music,” Keller said. “More of the story takes place in music than in the dialogue.”

Keller said two of the tunes are performed lounge style, like Bill Murray’s cocktail-bar crooner on “Saturday Night Live.”

All the characters in the play sing, though only the major roles have solos.

“We emphasized (singing ability) for the actors a little more because there is so much music,” Keller said.

Thibodaux Playhouse always winds up it season with a big musical, Keller said.

Call the Playhouse at (985) 446-1896 for tickets.

‘Lucky Stiff’