Photo credit: Michael Brosilow
When you mix drawing room murder and slapstick-ish mayhem with clever songwriting, 13 zany characters and a wannabe detective, you end up with the extremely funny and highly entertaining Murder for Two, which opened at the Stackner Cabaret last weekend.
Co-written by Wauwatosa native Joe Kinosian (a Milwaukee High School of the Arts grad) and Kellen Blair, this two-man show features a round-up of unusual suspects, all played to great comic effect by the multi-talented Kinosian. Who killed novelist Arthur Whitney? His jealous Southern belle of a wife? The overly dramatic ballerina with a dark past? The gruff psychiatrist who’s treated everybody in the room?
It doesn’t really matter “who dun it” since the show’s comic genius lies in Kinosian’s dizzying display of playing all 13 suspects—changing moment to moment using a multitude of voices, walks and props. Even a nonverbal glance lets us know who’s talking—often with the audience in an uproar of laughter.
Kinosian does have some help in Matt Edmonds, who plays the straight man to all the suspects as the bumbling, befuddled officer, Marcus Moscowicz. These two actors also excel at playing the piano, taking turns keeping the show going and using four hands at times, literally moving around the piano.
The 90-minute (no intermission) production gets into various subplots which simply serve to showcase Kinosian’s hilarious parodies of characters that didn’t quite make it onto the game board for Clue. Director JC Clementz, a Stackner Cabaret veteran, adds to his growing list of successes, maintaining a level of high-energy and quick comic pacing throughout the comical chaos, and the fun starts even before Murder for Two begins. The clever, attention-getting way to turn off cellphones jolted me right out of my seat. But after all, this is a mystery. So I’m not telling.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Through Jan. 14, 2018 at Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets call 414-224-9490 or visit: milwaukeerep.com.
