The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is a loving spoof of 1940s detective thrillers and screwball comedies. Written in 1987 with a sharp eye for the clichés, tropes, and theatrical flair of the era, it’s a play that thrives on absurdity, misdirection, and rapid-fire wit. It never takes itself too seriously, neither should you.

During the 1930s and ’40s, in the aftermath of war and hardship, audiences turned to movies for escape. Glamorous stars, outlandish plots, and snappy dialogue gave people a break from reality. This play follows in that tradition—though with a tongue firmly planted in cheek.

This unique play embraces its sheer commitment to fun. It’s a whirlwind of mistaken identities, secret passages, over-the-top characters, and perfectly timed chaos. But underneath all the madness is a deep appreciation for the storytelling styles that shaped an era.  It invites the audience to get lost in the absurdity and enjoy the ride.  

So sit back, suspend your disbelief, and get swept up in the nonsense. We certainly did while making it.

— Ryan Simmons

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Stage Props used as weapons in this performance are not real.

Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage.  Sara’s favorite credits include: HCT - Clue on Stage (Cook), See How They Run (Miss Skillon); The Grand Theatre - Dead Certain (Alice); Sandy Arts Guild - Mamma Mia (Tanya), and Crazy for You (Irene); Taylorsville - Anything Goes (Reno Sweeney); The Desert Star Playhouse - Harry Poppins (Bellatrix & Dobby), and My Big Fat Utah Wedding (Mother); Midvale Main Street - Next to Normal (Diana): and Murray Arts - Hello, Dolly! (Dolly Levi).  Sara has a BS in MFHD with a minor in Music from BYU and an MA in Special Education from the University of Phoenix and is a teacher at West High School.

Kristi’s favorite credits include: HCT - The Addams Family (Ancestor/Morticia U/S), Clue On Stage (Miss Scarlet), See How They Run (Ida), Lucky Stiff (Rita LaPorta), Treasure Island (Anne Boney), The Mousetrap Mollie), Guys & Dolls (Miss Adelaide), and Cinderella (Charlotte); and West Valley Performing Arts - The Odd Couple: Female Version (Olive Madison); CenterPoint Theatre - The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor). Other credits include: Director with West Valley Arts - The Play That Goes Wrong and CenterPoint Theatre - Camelot; Choreographer with CenterPoint Theatre - 1776, and Children of Eden. She has a BS in Acting from Weber State University. ‘To my real-life co-stars: Poppy, Tristan, Carter, and Josh: ours is the best show I've ever seen.’

Claire’s stage credits include: HCT - Marmee March (Little Women), Alice Beineke (The Addams Family 2019 & 2024), Golde (Fiddler on the Roof), Ernestina/Mrs. Rose (Hello, Dolly!) Rita La Porta (Lucky Stiff), Ms. Sheinkopf (School of Rock), Claire Holmes (The Secret Garden), Sandra/Florence Colleymoore (The Play That Goes Wrong),  and Shirley Hastings (Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical), and; HCTO - Mrs. White (Clue), Betsy Foster (Tuck Everlasting), and Mrs. Cratchit (A Christmas Carol). In addition, Claire is a four-time Tony Award-winning producer for Stereophonic, The Lehman Trilogy, Hadestown, and Once on This Island.  Other Broadway producing credits include Gypsy, Smash, Othello, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, New York, New York, Life of Pi, The Piano Lesson, & Juliet, Anastasia, Tootsie, A Christmas Carol, and Jagged Little Pill. “Much love to my amazing hubby and our seven beautiful kiddos.  You are my world!”

Some of Ashey’s favorite stage credits include: HCT: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, An American in Paris, Matilda The Musical, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; HCTO: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Anything Goes; Pioneer Theatre Company: Mamma Mia and The Rocky Horror Picture Show; The Grand Theatre: Into The Woods and The Last Five Years; Scera Shell: Matilda The Musical (Choreographer); Alabama Shakespeare Festival: Mary Poppins; Utah Lyric Opera: My Fair Lady; and Lyric Rep: The Drowsy Chaperone and Nunsense. Ashley graduated with a BA in Broadcast Communications from the University of Utah and an MBA from Westminster College.  She works as a private dance teacher for Hale Centre Theatre and a choreographer for The Ruth. “Thank you to Ryan for this opportunity and to HCT, as always, for being a great place to work!” 

David’s HCT credits include: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Elf The Musical, Hello, Dolly!, Lucky Stiff, One for the Pot, Guys & Dolls, The Play That Goes Wrong, Bright Star,  Seussical The Musical, The Wizard of Oz, and Cash on Delivery!. Other credits include: CenterPoint Theatre - The Pirates of Penzance (The Major General), Mary Poppins (Mr. Banks), Curtains (Lt. Cioffi), Guys & Dolls (Nathan Detroit), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Lawrence Jamison); Egyptian Theatre: Noises Off (Lloyd); and Lucky Stiff (Vinnie).  

Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Scott was last seen in our production of The Pirates of Penzance and has performed in a number of other shows across Utah, including having appeared in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 with Springville High School. He graduated from BYU and works as a commercial and film producer.

Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage!  Tavnir’s favorite stage credits include: The Time Machine with HCT; The Nerd with Sandy Arts Guild; Brigadoon with The Ruth; The Music Man with The Playmill Theatre; and The Winter's Tale at BYUI. Tavnir graduated from BYU with a degree in Advertising and Design. “Love to my wife, Hilly, and my GPS—Gretel, Piper, and Simon—who always keep me on the right path.” 

Bryan is no stranger to the HCT Stage. HCT credits include: Twelve Angry Men, The Magician’s Elephant, Clue On Stage, Around the World in 80 Days, Lucky Stiff, One for the Pot, The Play That Goes Wrong, Million Dollar Quartet, Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical, Wait Until Dark, Cash on Delivery!, The Nerd, Is He Dead?, The Foreigner, and Beau Jest. Other credits include The Ruth - A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Sense and Sensibility, and Million Dollar Quartet; Desert Star Playhouse - playwright for Star Wards, Hungry Games, and Freezin’. Bryan especially wants to thank his friends and family for supporting his creative endeavors. “No one is alone.”

Making his HCT debut!  Christopher comes to us with an extensive resume including singer/actor/dancer in many theatrical productions, including: Shenandoah with Promised Valley Playhouse; The Nutcracker with Ballet West; AIDA with Utah Opera at the Capitol Theater; and Fiddler on the Roof with Pioneer Theatre Company; as well as voiceover roles with Nintendo and IMAX.  He has also worked with directors such as Tim Van Patten, Rob Reiner, and Steven Soderbergh on film and television roles with AppleTV, Hallmark, CBS, Disney Channel, and HBO.

Zac was last seen as Wes Warnicker in Footloose. His other HCT credits include: The Magician’s Elephant (Police Chief), Clue On Stage (Colonel Mustard), Around the World in 80 Days (Inspector Fix), See How They Run (The Bishop of Lax), Lucky Stiff (Body of Anthony Hendon), Singin’ in the Rain (R. F. Simpson), Bright Star (Daddy Murphy), Wait Until Dark (Sergeant Carlino), Peter and the Starcatcher (Alf), and She Loves Me (Mr. Marachek). Zac holds a BFA in Theatre Education from the University of Utah and teaches Drama at Evergreen Junior High School. Zac would like to thank his amazing and supportive family for “letting him play.”

Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Elise’s favorite credits include: Finding Neverland (Mary Barrie), May We All (Liz), See How They Run (Ida), Singin’ in the Rain (Lina Lamont), Steel Magnolias (Shelby), Wait Until Dark (Suzy), Brigadoon (Meg), and Oklahoma! (Laurie) with HCT; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre) with Pioneer Theater Co; Hairspray (Penny Pingleton) with The Grand Theater; and Guys & Dolls (Miss Adelaide) with The Empress Theater.  She graduated from WSU with a degree in Musical Theater. She would like to recognize her outstanding and supportive husband and three incredible kids.

Ecstatic to be on the Hale Centre Theatre stage yet again, Corinne was recently seen in our production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as Babette. Additional HCT credits include Clue On Stage (Yvette), See How They Run (Penelope Toop), Lucky Stiff (Dominique), and One for the Pot (Cynthia Hardcastle). Other favorite stage credits include: Clue On Stage (Miss Scarlet), Matilda the Musical (Mrs. Wormwood) with The Ruth; Curtains (Bambi) with The Grand Theatre; and Noises Off (Brooke) with The Parker Theatre.  She holds a BFA from the University of Utah, and when not on stage, she works as a voice-over artist and certified yoga instructor. “XOXO A, G, & B.”

Favorite performing credits include: Twelve Angry Men (Foreman), A Christmas Carol 2024 (Jacob Marley), The Nutty Professor (Winslow), Clue On Stage (Mr. Green), See How They Run (Lionel Toop), Silent Sky (Peter Shaw), Treasure Island (Ben Gunn), The Play That Goes Wrong (Dennis/Perkins), Beau Jest (Joel), Over the River… (Nick), Peter and the Starcatcher (Smee), The Heart of Robin Hood (Much), and Newsies (Weisel) with HCT;  My Fair Lady (Pickering), The Sound of Music, Matilda The Musical, Charley’s Aunt, The Odd Couple, Cash on Delivery!, and The Diary of Anne Frank with HCTO.  Ben has a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre/Speech Education from BYU-Idaho and a Master's degree in HR Management from Rollins College and works as a People Operations Manager at BambooHR. ‘Luana, Elliott, Oliver, and Atticus - thanks for all the support! I have the best people.’

Thrilled to be on the Jewel Box stage once more! Kyle was most recently seen in last season’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth. His other credits include: The Little Mermaid (Chef Louis) and One for the Pot (Charlie Barnet) with HCT; Blink (Jim), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Jehan/Gargoyle) with HCTO; Urinetown The Musical (Bobby Strong) and Noises Off! (Llyod) with UVU; Spamalot (Lancelot), and Shrek The Musical (Shrek) with SCERA. When not on stage, he works as a Software Engineer. "Journey before Destination!"

Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Zöe’s favorite credits include: A Doll’s House (Nora) at The Thomas Center; As You Like It (Celia) at The Hippodrome Theater; MacBeth (Porter) at the University of Florida; and Anything Goes (Erma La Tour) with HCTO as well as film credits “Once I was a Beehive” and “Once I was Engaged” (Mykelle Anderson).  She has an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida.

Returning to the HCT stage! Some of Eden’s favorite performing credits include:  Les Misérables and Mary Poppins, Madame (Cinderella), Aunt Em/Glinda (The Wizard of Oz), Betsy (Tuck Everlasting), Mrs. Potiphar (Joseph…Dreamcoat), Gwendolyn (The Importance of Being Earnest,  Is He Dead? Catch Me if You Can, Arsenic and Old Lace, Ragtime, The Scarlet Pimpernel, See How They Run, Big The Musical, Annie, and Camelot with Hale Centre Theatre, along with Pride and Prejudice (Mrs. Bennet) at The Parker Theatre. When not on stage, she is the proud mom to her five children.

Trenton joins us with extensive experience from Comedy Sportz Utah, Desert Star Playhouse, and The Playmill Theatre.  He holds an Associate in Theatre Arts from BYU and works with Talent Management Group.  He is dedicating this show to his beautiful wife and daughters.  ‘Life is to be lived, not endured.”

Dustin is thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! His last appearance at HCT was as Juror 6 in our recent production of Twelve Angry Men.  Some of his favorite roles include: Clue On Stage (Professor Plum), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Goran The Spy), Seussical The Musical (Horton the Elephant), and The Wizard of Oz (The Cowardly Lion) with HCT; and Ragtime (Tateh) with The Ruth; The Drowsy Chaperone (Man in Chair) and The Music Man (Marcellus Washburn) with HCTO.  He graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre and is father to 4 cats - Sister, Brother, Kevin, and Toby. For more personal information, please email his mother.

Making her HCT debut! Julie’s favorite roles include: Sense and Sensibility (Aunt Penniman) with HCTO; Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice); and the Hallmark Movie “Love, Fall & Order” as Mayor Rosie Bernard. She holds a BS in Theatre Arts from Utah Valley University and runs Thrillionaires Corporate Training with her husband, Jake, where they teach creativity training through acting and improv to the business world. “Love to my beautiful child and loving husband.”

Thrilled to be returning to the HCT stage!  Jasmine’s favorite credits include: One for the Pot (Winnie) with  HCT; Clue On Stage (Cook) with West Valley Arts; Dear Ruth (Martha Seawright) with HCTO; and The Tempest (Stephano) with Renaissance Now Theatre Company.  She earned her BFA in Acting from BYU and performs improv comedy at ComedySportz and ImprovBroadway. “Thank you to my friends and family for your steady support. Ash, no one makes me laugh like you. Sundance, you're a very good boy.”

Making his HCT debut! Jacob is thrilled to join the Hale Centre Theatre family with this production of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. Other favorite stage credits include: Macbeth with Cincinnati Shakespeare 2024 education tour; Macbeth with Richmond Shakespeare Festival; Macbeth with Echo Theatre; and Macbeth with BYU-Idaho. Jacob holds an MFA in Theatre Arts from Wayne State. “Praise to God and endless thanks to my Mom and Dad and sisters.”

Davey is thrilled to be back on the HCT stage!  Previously seen in the Jewel Box Theatre in last season’s production The Time Machine. Other performing credits include: Hamlet (Hamlet) and The Merchant of Venice (Shylock) with The Grassroots Shakespeare Company; Eugenie (Honoré de Balzac) with BYUtv; E.L.V.E.S. 2.0 (Stevie) with Birmingham Children’s Theatre. Davey holds a BA in Media Arts Studies from BYU and an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Ryan is a Resident Director here at HCT.  His recent directing credits for us include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello, Dolly!, The Little Mermaid, One for the Pot, and The Play That Goes Wrong. Ryan is also a familiar performer on our stages, notably starring as the Cat in the Hat in Seussical The Musical, Passepartout in Around the World in 80 Days, Mr. Wormwood in Matilda The Musical, Lumiere in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and the titular role in The Nerd. He has also taught acting at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University Theatre Departments.

Zane is grateful to be part of this production, marking their debut at Hale Centre Theatre. With extensive experience in the theatre world and a passion for storytelling, Zane has had the opportunity to work on productions with Virgin Voyages, The 7 Fingers, Sam Pinkleton, No Ceilings Entertainment, Kaleidoscope Entertainment, and Mischief Theatre. Their regional credits include collaborations with Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Orlando Opera, and Orlando Repertory Theatre. Zane extends heartfelt thanks to the cast, crew, and creative team for their contributions to bringing this story to life. 

Jenn’s work was most recently seen as the Scenic Designer for Twelve Angry Men, Little Women, The Magician’s Elephant, Clue On Stage, Catch Me If You Can, Hans Christian Andersen in New York, See How They Run, The Light in the Piazza, One for the Pot, The Mousetrap, Bright Star, The Addams Family, Freaky Friday, and Steel Magnolias. Recent costume design credits for HCT: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Clue On Stage, Elf The Musical, Singin’ in the Rain, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz, and Aida. Other Scenic Designs for HCT include The Nerd, Big River, Beau Jest, Over the River and Through the Woods, Is He Dead?, The Foreigner, The 39 Steps, and The Game’s Afoot. Jenn has also done scenic design for Utah State Theater’s Lincoln Center’s KCACT award-winning design for Sweeney Todd, Mad Woman of Chailott, and lighting designer for Love's Labour's Lost, Utah Lyric’s The Foreigner, Sandy City’s Hairspray, and Park City’s Jesus Christ Superstar, My Fair Lady, Trailer Park, and many more. Jenn has a BFA from the U of U in Theatre Design and an MFA from Utah State in Scenic Design. Jenn has been with HCT in some capacity for nigh on 27 years. “Thank you to my family for their support and love. A special thanks to Isaac, without you, this would be impossible.”

Previous HCT Costume Design credits include: Little Women, The Magician’s Elephant, May We All, Around the World in 80 Days, Hello, Dolly, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Light in the Piazza, One for the Pot, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Secret Garden, Les Misérables, A Tale of Two Cities, Murder on the Orient Express, The Addams Family, An American In Paris, Tuck Everlasting, and My Son Pinocchio, along with Joseph...Dreamcoat in 2017. She holds a BA from Hainan University in Fashion and Leather Products Design and an MFA from Utah State University in Costume Design. Joy also designed for UST’s Candida, and was OLR’s Costume Designer for Game of Love and Chance. 

Recent Hale Centre Theatre credits for Marianne include the Lighting Design for Little Women, The Addams Family, Fiddler on the Roof, Catch Me if You Can, Silent Sky, The Light in the Piazza, Daddy Long Legs, and Bright Star. She works as a Lighting Designer and Lighting Manager for BYU's Theatre and Media Arts Department. Marianne holds a Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University and her Master’s Degree from the University of Idaho. Recent designs for BYU include Godspell, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Secret Garden. She also enjoys designing for Utah Metropolitan Ballet. 

Griffin has been mixing sound for shows on our Centre Stage and Jewel Box Stages for the last seven years and recently provided the sound design for HCT’s production of Twelve Angry Men. He has a passion for sound and the way it pushes stories to new heights! Some of his previous design credits include: HCT - Clue On Stage, The Addams Family (associate), Freaky Friday (Youth), See How They Run, Finding Nemo Jr, One for the Pot, Frozen Jr, and for RAC - Urinetown, Once On This Island Jr., Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Little Women, Footloose, and Into The Woods. Griffin is excited about future shows here at Hale Centre Theatre and is grateful for all those who have and continue to support him on his journey through life!

Danna has worked at Hale Centre Theatre in various departments for over 20 years. Much of that time was as Master Electrician, Lighting Design, and Lighting Department Head. She has created designs for The Nerd, Is He Dead?, AIDA, Freaky Friday, and Wait Until Dark. Danna is now the head of the Properties Department for Hale Centre Theatre and has provided the prop design for Twelve Angry Men, Little Women, Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, The Magician's Elephant, The Addams Family, The Nutty Professor, The Time Machine, Clue On Stage, Catch Me If You Can, and Hans Christian Andersen in New York as well as contributing to our production of The Three Musketeers and Tarzan. "Thank you to my wonderful team who help make such amazing things. It's so fun to create with you!" 

Marnee’ Porter is a professional wig and makeup artist specializing in theatrical and operatic work. Based in Utah, She has designed productions at Utah Opera, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and at Brigham Young University and has a passion for working with performers and projects that are larger than life. Manreé thrives on being a part of visual storytelling, through the transformative power of makeup and character creation. She completed an MFA in Wig Making and Makeup Design from CCM and also has a degree in Theatre Art Studies from BYU.

As Projections Designer, Madeline’s work was recently seen in productions of Twelve Angry Men, Little Women, The Addams Family, A Christmas Carol, Fiddler on the Roof, Light in the Piazza, Silent Sky, Daddy Long Legs, and more at HCT. She has also been able to design Scenery for HCT for Fiddler on the Roof, Silent Sky, Daddy Long Legs, Murder on the Orient Express as well as Oklahoma! (Sundance Summer Theatre); Fire! and Singing to the Brine Shrimp (Plan B Theatre). Madeline earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Scenic Design from Utah Valley University. 

Nick serves as Hale Centre Theatre’s Head of Automation and resident Automation Designer and Programmer. Of the many shows he’s been a part of here at HCT, his favorites include: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Treasure Island, The Little Mermaid, Titanic The Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, & Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Beyond HCT, Nick once held a rewarding career with Disney Live Entertainment as a Senior Show Control Designer where he had been instrumental in designing and programming sophisticated show control systems for large-scale spectaculars such as Frozen, Live at the Hyperion, Fantasmic!, numerous castle firework displays, and most recently, Luminous: The Symphony of Us at Epcot. He also had the absolute privilege of working with Walt Disney Imagineering, programming show control systems for landmark attractions, including Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.