Photos: Niles Scott Studios
‘Murder for Two’ — Book and Music by Joe Kinosian. Book and Lyrics by Kellen Blair. Directed by Tyler Rosati. Music Direction by Bethany Aiken; Scenic Design by Katy Monthei; Lighting Design by Matt Cost; Sound Design by Adam Smith. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main St., Stoneham, MA through Nov. 9.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Murder for Two is a loving parody of classic murder mysteries. A two-person musical, the 100-minute (no intermission) production is more vaudevillian revue than its genre’s prototypes, relying on gimmicks, songs, and quick changes to tell a familiar story in a new way.
The plot is fairly straightforward and as formulaic as it gets.
In the opening moments, Arthur Whitney, a famous author, is murdered in his mansion on the eve of his own surprise party. It is, of course, a stormy and dark night and the suspects are many — 13, in fact. From the widow, to the niece, psychiatrist, ballerina, town doctor, neighbors and local fireman, each is quirky and none lacks motive.
The only thing that keeps Murder for Two from being a total cliché is that all 13 suspects are played by Will McGarrahan, a virtuoso with a supple face and talent for impersonation. A simple hand gesture, distinctive gait, snooty scowl, tutu or pair of cat’s eyeglasses, and he becomes a different character, capturing their essence in the blink of an eye.
Jared Troilo is the small-town cop named Marcus Moscowicz who jumps at the chance to solve the case (and advance his stagnant career) when the real detective can’t be located. A by-the-books kind of guy, he has his work cut out for him dealing with this motley crew.
The focal point of the small but expertly designed and lighted set is an upright piano, where the two actors show off their piano playing and vocal chops. Their musical rapport and interaction is delightful. They finish each other’s phrases, take turns singing and accompanying, and shine during four-handed duets. Unfortunately, the songs lack lyrics of substance and tunes with catchy melodies, but the actors’ comfort, confidence, and camaraderie (almost) make up for it.
The play also relies heavily on shtick and, like all shtick, some is laugh-out-loud funny, and some is corny and cutesy, landing with a thud.
At the Saturday evening performance on opening weekend, McGarrahan’s microphone malfunctioned and, despite an unscheduled intermission (which provided fertile fodder and opportunity for the actors to break the fourth wall and ad lib to the audience’s delight), still didn’t work properly. Given the show’s fast pace and McGarrahan’s pivotal role, it made the first half of the show even harder to follow.
Following the plot and figuring out who done it, however, is not the point of attending this production. The real reason is the physical comedy and musical showmanship of two actors who are so comfortable with each other and their performances that, at one point, McGarrahan goes off script and shakes a tambourine in Troilo’s face until he cracks up. After an hour of scripted unevenness, the audience applauded in appreciation and relief.
Despite working with such unexceptional material, McGarrahan and Troilo seem to be having the time of their lives on stage. Would that the audience could have shared in some of that. For more information, visit https://www.greaterbostonstage.org/
