originally written for theateronline
Well I couldn't! I took notes, interviewed fellow members of the audience and still remained happily surprised during the denouement -- and even after, come to think of it.
The newest production by the veteran murder mystery troupe is ambitious, to say the least. It blends choreographed showtunes, multiple costume changes, a twisting turning whodunnit, audience participation, and a whole lot of humor into a funfilled romp for the senses. It's a "musical revue gone fatally wrong" says author C.A. Sperry, but that's only part of the story. The show manages to take the audience on a trip to the Moulin Rouge dance hall where showy showgirls ooze and slither around the cabaret tables. During their 'newest spectacular' Broadway Tonight, a melange of popular and suitably sexy showtunes, the chorus line start to lose their cool as one show girl shines supreme. She's Desiree, the Alexis Carrington of the group - beautiful, meanspirited and full of herself - the kind you just love to hate and played with great aplomb by Christina Hodel. The other showgirls include loudmouth Angelique, given a hilarious turn by Angela Amberden; Vivien the klutz with class; Zoe the curvaceous airhead; and Celeste, the one who's been around long enough to remember the good ole days. Just as you'd suspect, everyone's got it in for Desiree but not out of jealousy. She earns their hatred and then some. About the only member of the Moulin Rouge who can stand her is Gaston, played to smarmy perfection by Ron Szoke. And who could be better suited to play detective than the absinthe-chugging Toulouse Lautrec tribute character Henri the alluring artiste, portrayed by Kanai Williams. The showgirls are ga-ga over Henri. Gaston, the emcee says, "I don't get it. What's so special about this Henri guy?" Well I was there, and believe me, I got it. Henri's monologue on how to seduce a woman had me fanning myself with my program.With solid performances by a cast who genuinely seems to enjoy one another, Murder at the Moulin Rouge is a standout among interactive dinner theater shows, but to give away anymore would rob readers of the fun of finding it out on their own. And as the showgirls say, "What happens at the Moulin Rouge, stays at the Moulin Rouge."
Murder at the Moulin Rouge plays through May 1st. Go to www.masterpiecemysteries.com for production information.