How often does your evening include a killer three-course dinner, murder, and a chance to poke and prod the suspects until one cracks, falling to his/her knees in hysterics confessing the crime?
Last week, fellow SDTC writer Lizzie and I got the chance to play detectives at Dancing with the Stars Can be Murder, the newest show presented by Mysteriously Yours…Mystery Dinner Theatre.
The night began with delicious bread, whipped butter, and a side of ridicule. Thanks to my nametag (compulsory, and no we couldn’t put down a fake name…I tried) the cast had a field day making cracks about my Russian heritage. It was particularly amusing when they pushed me to converse in Russian with character Tatiana Imasonova, Prima Ballerina, who in fact, was not Russian at all.
An older gentleman, a couple tables away, received his share of adversity also. Contestant Shane Newton couldn’t walk by his table without referencing tennis, Ivey league, or the colour pink before erupting in laughter. Then again, the man was sporting a bubble gum pink sweater tied around his neck…
Rounding off the cast were Ryan Seafoam and ditsy Mary Kate Lohanspears as contestants in the competition. Bruno Tarantella presided over as the orange Head Judge, and Jimmy Kibble was our gracious toupee-loving host.
By this point the spectacle was in full swing and we found ourselves engaged in full-blown photo-ops with Ryan and Mary Kate as they badmouthed their competitors and chatted away about the upcoming finale. With just three couples left, the stakes were higher than ever. Cue Psycho soundtrack.
As amusing as the actors were, the show would not have been the same without the eats. Executive Chef Therese de Grace’s food was as beautiful as her name. Having proved her chops at Terra Restaurant and Juice for Life, Therese brought sophisticated accents to perfectly executed meals. Lizzie and I (independently of one another) decided on the sweet potato gnocchi in a Blush tomato sauce…so good!
And then it happened. MURDER!!! X was found dead! Who dunnit? The characters pointed fingers left and right, and stopped at nothing to humiliate one another while exposing secret trysts and scandals. What a horny bunch they turned out to be!
As we tried to piece together the clues, we were served a glorious platter of desserts – lemon raspberry mousse, butterscotch apricot torta, and a slice of cheesecake that was simply to die for. I enjoyed the filling while Lizzie was especially partial to the crispy crust.
As we licked clean our plates, the murderer was revealed. We both got it wrong. I’m not sure about Lizzie, but I felt a little embarrassed and vowed to immediately reread every Agatha Christie novel ever written.
I had the time of my life at Mystery Dinner Theatre, and I can’t wait to go back! Lizzie and I may not have been the brightest tools in the shed, but we’ll always have our cheesecake.
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