"Lucky Stiff" When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; through March 21 Where: Moonlight Stage Productions at the Avo Playhouse, 303 Main St., Vista Tickets: $20, adults; $18, seniors and students Information: (760) 724-2110 or www.moonlightstage.com

Moonlight Stage Productions' staging of "Lucky Stiff" at the Avo Playhouse in Vista is only the second time the 1988 musical farce has been seen in San Diego, but it's hard to figure out why.

The zany, fast-paced murder-mystery has all the elements it needs for a fun evening of entertainment ---- an unpredictable (if improbable) plot, colorful characters, wild sight gags, big musical numbers and lots of free-for-all silliness.

Although the musical starts off a little slow and has only a couple of memorable songs, it boasts tight direction by Kathy Brombacher, a wonderful stylized set and lavish costumes, and several strong performances ---- particularly that of big-voiced Julie Jacobs as the brassy Bronx bombshell Rita La Porta.

"Lucky Stiff" was the first musical ever written by the "Ragtime" team of Lynn Ahrens (book, lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). Based on Michael Butterworth's book "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo," the story focuses on mild-mannered British shoe store clerk Harry Witherspoon, who finds out he will inherit $6 million from an American uncle he's never met if he can fulfill the codicils of his will ---- namely to take the wheelchair-bound corpse of his departed uncle, Tony, on a prepaid weeklong gambling spree in Monte Carlo. If Harry can't fulfill the request, the money will go to the Universal Dog Home in Brooklyn.

Secretly tagging along on the trip are earnest Annabel Glick, a nosy representative for the dog home; Rita, uncle Tony's nearsighted mistress, who accidentally shot him in a jealous rage; and Rita's nervous optometrist brother, Vinnie DiRuzzio. Rita and Vinnie are following Harry because they want to retrieve a cache of stolen diamonds, which they suspect dead Uncle Tony is carrying on his person in a heart-shaped box.

The plot takes many twists, which I won't reveal here, but along the way there's an entertaining dream sequence, a lavish nightclub scene, a little bit of romance and some hilarious physical humor involving Uncle Tony's body (the snorkeling scene is a scream).

Perhaps one reason "Lucky Stiff" is rarely staged is its technical difficulty. The script requires fast and frequent set changes, elaborate costumes, dozens of props and airtight direction to keep the busy stage action focused. Brombacher is an old hand at directing farce, so the show zips along smoothly through a quick two hours (with intermission), and she's careful to balance the cast's performance at the same high energy level.

And Marty Burnett's stylized set --- a huge pair of dice, which spin around with multiple doors and hidden panels on each die face, 6-foot-tall stacks of poker chips, and a light-up roulette wheel that frames the proscenium arch --- is clever and workable for the speedy scene changes. And Roslyn Lehman's costumes add a lighthearted, fantasy touch to the show.

The cast is stocked with fine singers, particularly the women castmates Jacobs, Stacy Goldsmith (as Annabel) and Shirley Giltner (as Monte Carlo nightclub singer Dominique). Among the most enjoyable musical numbers are Jacobs' powerhouse solo "Rita's Confession," Goldsmith's sweet, subtle "Times Like This" and Giltner's "Speaking French." Another fun number is contributed by the show's musical director, Don LeMaster, who steps out of the side-stage pit in the first act to play a cheesy French nightclub emcee in the song "Monte Carlo!"

Performances are all of a piece ---- the slightly exaggerated, wide-eyed comedy typical of farce.

Tristan Poje leads the cast as the milquetoast Harry. Poje plays the likable nerd well enough, though he doesn't have much chemistry with his character's romantic interest, Annabel, who is played sweetly by Goldsmith. Giltner is vivacious as the nightclub chanteuse Dominique. And Jacobs steals the show as Rita. Spencer Moses is a high-strung geek as Vinnie. Robert Nanninga provides a surprisingly large amount of comic relief as the dapper, unsmiling corpse, Tony. And Theodore Leib is Tony's mysterious friend, Luigi. Rounding out the cast in a number of small roles are Don Ward, Gail Wolford-Beall, Jennifer Mandala and Brian Imoto.

The show also features choreography by Renee Kollar, lighting by Eric Lotze, sound by Peter Hashagan and stage management by Dana Begg.