Dragging an embalmed corpse to Monaco to make sure a dog charity doesn’t get funding might sound cruel and unusual, but in the comedic musical Lucky Stiff, presented by the Santa Fe High theater program this week, Harry Witherspoon will do whatever it takes to get the cash his mysterious uncle has left him.

The musical performance follows the journey of an English shoe salesman, Harry, who has inherited $6 million from his uncle, but only if he can complete the tasks assigned to him. He must take his departed uncle on a trip to Monte Carlo, disguising him as alive by dressing him up and putting him in a wheelchair. If he doesn’t do this, all of the money from his uncle’s estate will instead go to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.

To make matters even more complicated, there are a myriad of other bizarre characters who are after Uncle Anthony’s money, including Annabel Glick, an associate from the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, who watches Harry’s every move to try and catch him messing up the mission so she can take the money for her charity. Rita La Pora, Uncle Anthony’s widow, also wants the money for herself.

Principal Mr. Marano, who plays the corpse, says he is very excited for the upcoming production. “I’ve learned so much in the past couple of weeks of rehearsing with the wonderful students, and I am looking so forward to it,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. I never did any kind of acting or theater in school, so this is actually a dream come true of mine.”

Noah Snow, who plays optometrist Vinnie DiRuzzio, says, “It’s weird [to be in a musical] because I’ve never acted and danced at the same time, and also sang. I like getting to do them all at the same time, even though its weird to try and combine them.”

Along the way of their high stakes journey, they encounter many other quirky characters to make their trip even more daunting.

The show runs May 2, 3 and 4 at 7:33 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and students under 18, and $5 for inducted Thespian Club members. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at https://www.santafehigharts.org/.