'Only Murders in the Building' review:  Season 3 is fun, especially for theater buffs

WHAT IT'S ABOUT When Oliver's (Martin Short) new murder/mystery play, "Death Rattle," loses its leading man, Ben Gilroy (Paul Rudd), he decides to make a musical with the original cast, which includes Loretta Durkin (Meryl Streep) and Charles (Steve Martin). Meanwhile, Mabel (Selena Gomez) follows the clues of Ben's demise with the help of Tobert (Jesse Williams), who had been making a film of Ben's first stage role (Ben's claim to fame had been a cinematic superhero named "Cobro.")

   This Broadway-themed season is stacked. Joining regulars like Andrea Martin (Charles' love interest, Joy)  and Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard Morris) in various roles include: Ashley Park ("Mean Girls"), Jeremy Shamos ("Noises Off"), Linda Emond ("Cabaret"), Wesley Taylor ("Rock of Ages"), Jason Veasey ("The Lion King"),  Jackie Hoffman ("The Sisters Rosensweig") and  Peter Bartlett ("Beauty and the Beast"). Matthew Broderick and Mel Brooks make quickie cameos too.

 Also this: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray") did the music and lyrics. 

This review is based on the first eight episodes (of 10). Two drop Aug. 8.    

MY SAY For the third season, "OMITB" has left the fictional Arconia (actually the Belnord on West 86th)  for the fictional Goosebury Theater, which is the real United Palace on 175th Street where  Rev. Ike and, more recently, the Tonys held forth.  "OMITB" 3.0 clearly wanted to scramble the formula and as far as this setting is concerned, mission accomplished. Exotic and mysterious (also an original  "Loew's Wonder Theater"), the Goosebury is a faded beauty who relishes her lingering close-up. That's one theme this season, by the way, and perhaps a clue.

 The third season, in fact, is a celebration of Broadway, or a notional Broadway, where all the world's a stage or that part of the world from 42nd Street north. Joining the party are a dozen household names, or at least in theater households. There's nothing quite like getting a bunch of A-listers together, and telling them to act —  and act they do, notably Rudd who chews up whatever piece of scenery is within reach. Each performance is memorable and everyone looked like they had a good time. You will too. 

   What's a little less fun is a key plot twist that takes the police (specifically, Da'Vine Joy Randolph's Det. Williams) and titular podcast out of the story until late in the season — to a large extent, the core three too.

For much of the third, Mabel, Charles and Oliver are on separate tracks, each driven by an essential personality trait (or flaw). When together they're a team, but apart they're a shambles — just three lonely people in the big city chasing the what-might-have-beens or what-might-still-bes. Still lovable, they're just a little more unforgiving, of themselves and of each other. Bitterness is an unintended byproduct of this part of the scrambled formula, and not always a welcome part either.

   There's almost enough plot, action and (even) music to make you forget all that. Streep pretty much takes over her episodes because she's Meryl Streep — that's what she's supposed to do.  Her Loretta has had a regret or two, a loveless life, and just one magical moment, as a child, when she saw Diahann Carroll (Rosharra Francis) sing "The Sweetest Sounds" from the 1962 musical "No Strings." 

 Like all the other portraits-in-miniature this season, Loretta's is just economical enough to make the viewer wonder whether her life's little setbacks have coalesced into a homicidal fury. Maybe they have, maybe not. At least that part of the "OMITB" formula is still intact, still a blast. 

 BOTTOM LINE A lot of fun, especially for theater buffs.