Mugs amok in Macao

In Adrift in Macao, opium-addicted but dangerously sexy sing-song girls vamp for the customers in an exotic bar while the owner trades secrets and searches for a mysterious criminal. This is the stuff of film noir, and so far the show sounds reminscent of Gilda or Casablanca. Until you discover that the owner of this Asian bar is named Rick Shaw, and he's searching for a Mr. McGuffin. He's aided by his inscrutable sidekick Tempura, so named because he's "been battered by life." Toto, I don't think we're in Casablanca anymore.

Macao is a dizzy musical spoof of film noir that's short on plot but long on laughs. If it were a film, you might expect to see the Zuckers brothers name attached to it. But this is a stage musical with an unexpected byline: Christopher Durang. Of course the author of hit plays like Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Beyond Therapy and Betty's Summer Vacation is known for being funny, but his wit is usually savage, absurd and shocking. In Macao, as in Miss Witherspoon (which the Lyric presented last season), we see a softer, sillier side of Durang. Throw in a clever score by Peter Melnick and you've got a fun night.

"I don't know how familiar people are with Durang's musical side," says the show's director and choreographer, Stephen Terrell. "He's done quite a lot, but it doesn't get produced much. He and Sigourney Weaver used to be a song and dance team."

"The show is just a blast," he continues. "The songs are good and it's very funny."

Terrell ought to know what he's talking about. He's a Broadway vet who appeared in the original production of Dreamgirls, and he currently heads the Musical Theatre Department at Emerson. This is his second outing with the Lyric; last year he directed their production of See What I Wanna See, which, appropriately enough, included a noir retelling of Rashomon.

Although Terrell has long been a film of film noir, See What I Wanna See was something of a departure for him, as his musical theater experience has largely been in lighter shows. So he's in his element with this fizzy farce, which he compares to Urinetown and City of Angels.

"Macao has that kind of humor," he explains. "It's very hardboiled and wiseassed, almost making fun of musicals. But it's more farcical. It's completely ridiculous."

Terrell has a ridiculous amount of talent to work with, including Paul Farwell as Shaw, Aimee Doherty as the deadly dame Lureena, and local legend Kathy St. George as Lureena's rival. The show will also introduce Austin Ku to Boston audiences, a recent arrival from San Francisco, who plays the wily Tempura.

"Wait'll you see him, he's so funny and inventive," says Terrell. "He came out of the blue, like fate. He moved to Boston the week of auditions." He goes on to praise the rest of the cast at length, noting their flair for comedy and their assiduous research into film noir. Okay, maybe watching a bunch of classic movies isn't hard work, but it was an important part of the process. As Terrell notes, you have to understand the genre before you can spoof it.

In a sort of projected modesty, Terrell doesn't sing the praises of Neal Richard Lee, his spouse, until prompted. Is it awkward to be working with his partner? "Husband," he grins. "God bless Massachusetts!" He goes on to explain that they have done several shows together without turning into the Lunts (the famous husband and wife stage actors whose backstage squabbling inspired Kiss Me Kate) and in fact met when they were both cast in a production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

You don't expect this production set in murderous Macao to be a family affair, but then again you don't expect noir guys and dolls to act like Guys and Dolls. But when a show rips on everything from Bogart to Hitchcock to Mr. Moto, why not throw in some Kurt Weill and Carmen Miranda? This zippy comedy goes around the world in 80 minutes with everything but the kitchen sink, and its breathless goofiness is sure to put a smile on your face.

Adrift in Macao runs at The Lyric Theatre, 140 Clarendon St., Boston through Feb. 2. Tickets $25-$54. Visit www.lyricstage.com or call 617.585.5678.