Poison Ivy Mysteries’ latest offering is the story of the last day of shooting on a film, where tensions are high. You, the audience, are the extras and the story behind the film is leading up to murder. Here’s the notice:
Come and be an extra on the set of what promises to be Iggie Ego’s greatest film yet! “Death…by Taxes!”
This film features none other than the British Heart throb himself…Edwin Bardsley! Also starring the man of many faces, Maximillian Murphy and of course, the up and coming starlet…Miss Tiffany Swords!
Come and be part of the action on the last day of filming in the studio. Tensions are running high as Iggie struggles to get the last scenes PERFECT…in Lights…Camera…MURDER!
Returning to the scene of the crime are Poison Ivy Mysteries main-stays, Jamie Denison, Criss Rosenlof and Morgan Walton. These veterans are joined by Jeremy Tritchler (last seen in Twilit) and newcomer Kaityn Lamb.
The show opens with a “Behind the Scenes” film of various interviews from the characters. Very much in the vein of Hollywood Insider or Entertainment Tonight, just an interviewer and one cast member. Of course, since we’d already been interacting with the cast, there wasn’t any new information revealed in the interviews. Still, it was fun to have another form of media presented to us. It was especially effective at the end of the show, where we learn “where are they now”.
I wasn’t quite catching the full tension level from the cast that I know all too well on the last day of filming. The cast was delivering the all-too familiar “annoyance” with one another that is a mainstay in murder mysteries, and the preshow interactions were more of good-natured ribbing… It felt more like the first day of shooting, rather than the last.
The musical and dance numbers seemed to be fewer than usual (though that could just be that they blending better in this production and had fewer problems) and that led to some truly outstanding performances. In particular, April Tritchler’s choreography on the “tango” and “disco” numbers was outstanding. And Walton’s costume in the disco number was priceless.
Standing out in their performances in this are Kaitlyn Lamb, who so perfectly channels the vapid deva Tiffany Swords and delivers a rock star performance in her musical number (marred only by a faulty speaker and our proximity to the stage); and Jeremy Tritchler as Eddie Ego (whose name says it all). I should also mention an outstanding performance of an unknown audience member who played a dead body that Morgan had to lug around the stage. He was like Bernie from “Weekend at Bernies”.
Walton and Rosenlof seemed a little toned down in this one compared to their previous appearances, but when the two were together on stage it was the usual magic that they can always deliver. Their choices in the murder scene were fantastic.
This show definitely deserves a bigger audience. We barely filled the first section on the night I saw it, though as Producer/Director Annelise Murphy pointed out to me, with the exception of myself, my wife, and one other audience member, everyone in the crowd were just there to enjoy dinner theatre, so hopefully that bodes well for their remaining performances this month.
Poison Ivy Mysteries presents: Lights…Camera…Murder! Performing February 11th, 25th and 26th (Sat), March 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th, April 1st, 8th, 15th and 16th (Sat) and 29th. Shows start at 7 p.m. Midvale Main Street Theatre, 7711 South Main Street (7th West), Midvale, Utah. Make ticket reservations in advance at poisonivymysteries.com/tickets.html
