Now in it’ fourth season at the Vineyard Playhouse, the Wicked Good Musical Review played to packed houses last weekend. Food was the theme for the season opener, created and directed by Molly Conole, who performed with David Behnke and Paul Munafo.

Numbers included a cleverly paced selection of Broadway tunes, from shows as diverse as The Fantasticks to The Most Happy Fella to Sweeney Todd. Two pianists — Peter Boak and Molly Sturges — seamlessly alternated at the keyboard.

A cheeky opener set just the right tone, with the three adults offering up the famous kids number Food, Glorious Food from Oliver!

After this entrance, Ms. Conole offered up the first of her light hearted chats with the audience, detailing just enough bits of theatrical history to put the musical numbers in context. These narrations, combined with the sheer variety of food-related songs, gave the evening a charming sense of spontaneity.

The polished performers brought with them a sense of commitment throughout, which held the audience for the entire hour and 15-minute romp. Ms. Conole said she enjoys seeing the performers “rise to their highest level of achievement, choosing the right piece for the right voice and persona.”

The biggest hit of the evening was David Behnke playing Snoopy from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, at times on all fours. After the show he remarked that he enjoyed the challenge of “playing in a completely different style,” which included dancing with Snoopy’s dog bowl as a top-hat big finish. The audience roared.

Another highlight showcased Mr. Munafo’s skill in singing and acting in a very believable French accent. He brought just the right touch of comedy to Les Poissons from The Little Mermaid, playing the very French chef. Mr. Munafo said he likes “every part of the process, not just one song, but the whole range, from the comedic to ballads.”

This was clear with his touching rendition of Moonshine Lullaby from Annie Get Your Gun.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, the fun continued in the form of Original Food Lyrics and poetic switch-ups. Put it on the Ritz (as in cracker) produced plenty of happy groans, perhaps even from Irving Berlin’s ghost. Then there was As Long as He Feeds Me (another Oliver! excerpt—sort of).

One would be remiss not to mention the pianists, whose job was to provide a subtle but crucial atmosphere of musicality. It’s easy for the musical accompaniment to go unnoticed. But the appreciation of Mr. Boak and Ms. Sturgis was clear from discussions with the cast and the audience’s final ovations.

Mr. Boak, a three-year veteran of Wicked Good, especially appreciated the opportunity of “working with Ms. Sturgis, a fine player, new to the Island and the group’s rigorous professional preparation.”

Ms. Sturgis relished the “working relationships with the supportive ensemble, with no ego or competition.”

MJ Bruder Munafo, artistic and executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, remembered the first Wicked Good performance in November 2014. “After the playhouse was renovated and restored, I wanted to make sure we had year-round programming in our beautiful building. The first [held downstairs] was so popular that we had to move upstairs.” 

Vist mvplayhouse.org to stay tuned for the next Wicked Good Cabaret and other off-season playhouse events.