THEATER REVIEW: Interactive dinner theater unsettling, surprising, and delicious
Gun shots and power outages kept everyone wondering who the Phantom Killer was.
In Lee Hunt’s most recent production, “The Phantom Killer,” cast members kept the audience involved from the second they gave their tickets at the door.
As theater-goers took their seats in the conference room on the top floor of the Coppermill Restaurant, I don’t think anyone realized they would eventually be cracking a murder mystery case.
The program given to the audience explains that they are being welcomed to a benefit dinner floor show in behalf of a renowned troup before they leave on a tour of the “The Phantom Singer.”
Characters such as Paul Pianissimo (Evan Glassett), a silent singing sensation from Kentucky; Kristaine Aday (Jen Peterson), a superstitious new singing star; Reginald MacBeth (Levi Larsen), the has-been leading man; Faith Nomore (Brittney Nielson), a seemingly loose assistant director; and Babs Fussy (Jennifer Tanner) a choreographer who was once the director’s star mixed and mingled with the audience by introducing themselves and acting as if something was awry because the director of their production hadn’t arrived yet.
Throughout the evening, as the audience ate and chatted, the characters spouted out remarks at each other from one dinner table to the other. Much of the time they were talking about mishaps during past productions and their reasons for not liking the director, Anthony Award.
Periodically, the actors would perform spoofs of songs from “Les Miserables” and “Phantom of the Opera.”
Laura Bedore did an excellent job of writing a script full of puns and plays on words. One song, sung to the tune of “I Love Him” from Les Miserables, spoke of a lover’s burning desire to date her cousin.
“We’ll never date or consummate, because loving him is wrong,” Babs Fussy sang.
Eventually, the extremely aggressive Anthony Award (Scott Stone), notice the familiar name, came to help get the entertainment started for the audience. Between numbers, a soap opera unfolded to reveal love triangles between many of the characters. Anthony dropped Faith like a rock, while he, Paul and Reginald each pursued Kristine.
The soap opera climaxed when, in a fit of rage, Anthony collapsed to the ground, apparently dead. From there, you’ll have to see the play for yourself to find out the identity of the Phantom Killer.
Considering the size of the production and assumed production costs, the performance was superb. Many times, when attending plays in an intimate setting such as that my nerves start taking over as I worry about the actors stumbling over their lines, songs and, not to mention, the feet of the audience members.
I was extremely impressed that they did so well, especially while interacting with the audience. Each performer sang powerfully, without make-up or lights to hide behind.
The one thing that was kind of hard getting used to was talking to the characters as we were asked to solve the mystery. It was kind of like the nervous feeling you get when you sit on Santa’s lap at the mall or shake Mickey Mouse’s hand at Disneyland. I never know how to act around those people because they are obviously not being themselves.
Lee Hunt’s mystery was very involved (sometimes a little confusing) and even had an unexpected twist to it. The performers did a great job with well-developed characters and melodramatic acting.
Oh, yeah, the food was delicious.
Jacob Moon is the editor in chief for The Utah Statesman. Comments can be sent to editor@statesman.usu.edu.
Evan Glassett, playing the part of “Paul Pianissimo,” involved audience members by first demonstrating a champion pig call, and then conducting a pig call competition between them. This is one of the many ways that the audience was involved in the performance. (Photos by Scott Davis)