Ian Fairlee and countless Jeremiah Ginns in Murder for Two. Photo courtesy of Stages St. Louis.
One detective. One dead body. 10 witnesses… all played by one actor. Can our hero crack the case (and make time for a piano solo)?
Murder for Two plays at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center (210 E. Monroe Ave.) from now until June 29. The madcap murder mystery/musical first premiered in 2011 and won instant praise for its brilliantly twisted book. The 90-minute show features only two actors, so good chemistry is crucial. Luckily, this Stages St. Louis production has the talents of Ian Fairlee and Jeremiah Ginn. The two play off each other with the speed and energy of the best improv comedians. The loose plot is a spoof of Agatha Christie-style “whodunits”—a perfect canvas for some crazed character sketches and fourth wall-breaking gags.
The show opens with a “BANG.” Arthur Whitney—author of such specifically titled novels as My Niece is an Annoying Grad Student Who Asks Too Many Questions—is shot dead at his surprise birthday party. Officer Marcus Moscowicz (Ian Fairlee) is the first on the scene. He’s greeted by Arthur’s widow Dahlia (Jeremiah Ginn), a fading Southern belle who really wants to wrap up this investigation in time for ice cream (and her big comeback).
The local detective is an hour away, so Moscowicz (who can recite protocol in song and is a little too eager for a promotion) takes matters into his own hands. He has questions for Athur’s niece, Steph (who is, in fact, an annoying grad student who asks too many questions); Arthur’s neighbor Murray, who accuses his wife Barb of murder on a weekly basis; Barette Lewis, a ballerina with a talent for dance and self-incrimination; and Dr. Griff, an overly friendly, oversharing psychiatrist who thinks professional boundaries are a buzzkill. Finally, there’s Timmy, Yonkers, and Skid, the three surviving members of a twelve-boy choir who’ve seen “a lot woise” than a run-of-the-mill homicide.
All ten of these characters are played by Ginn, who signals the change with granny glasses, invisible hair flips, and knee walking (as the scene demands). Ginn’s manic energy and total commitment to every ludicrous line provide the show’s biggest laughs, and the lack of big costume changes enhances the physical comedy. His characters are send-ups of detective novel clichés, yet each of them has a distinct personality and voice (plus their own song). Fairlee plays the straight man; his questions, no matter how direct, take surreal detours that provide little useful information but do provide plenty of entertainment.
Whitney’s parlor is brought to life with an impressive set design. The stage features a fireplace, a grand piano, trapdoors, and enough space for two actors to play at least a dozen characters. (It also has a secret switch for disco balls and confetti—every murder mysteries got to have one.) Fairlee and Ginn take turns playing piano and singing lead with impressive skill. Kirkwood’s beautiful, midsize performing arts center is the perfect venue for this kind of carefully crafted, offbeat musical comedy adventure.
Tickets cost $34 to 78 and can be purchased from the St. Louis Stages website. Time to RSVP for one killer birthday with one hell of a surprise. | Rob Von Nordheim
