I was thinking earlier today about our first "professional" show up at Snowbird back in April of 1991. Can any of you tell me the names of at least four of the original cast members that night?
Also, how many pages of script were there for that first performance?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Night for Ronald McDonad
Earlier this year, Jared, my son, and Hunt Mysteries donated a gift certificate good for a musical comedy murder mystery performance to the 2009 Ronald McDonald House Charity Fund-raiser.
Last night, Sept. 17th, Jared and cast members Tony Porter, Joseph Thompson, Clayton Barney, Mary Brassard, Danielle Palmer and Sheri Gillies performed "The Altos" in Park City for the guests of Mr. West, who bid the highest for the gift certificate. The actors and the guests had a fun evening together for a great cause.
It was Hunt Mysteries' third show donated to the Ronald McDonald charity.
Thanks Mr. West -- and thanks to the cast!
Last night, Sept. 17th, Jared and cast members Tony Porter, Joseph Thompson, Clayton Barney, Mary Brassard, Danielle Palmer and Sheri Gillies performed "The Altos" in Park City for the guests of Mr. West, who bid the highest for the gift certificate. The actors and the guests had a fun evening together for a great cause.
It was Hunt Mysteries' third show donated to the Ronald McDonald charity.
Thanks Mr. West -- and thanks to the cast!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater at Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan
Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater has teamed with Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan to present its Halloween Musical Comedy Murder Mystery "Which Witch is the Head Witch?" on Oct. 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17. Hunt Mysteries created this 30-second video ad, using clips from previous Halloween shows. The ad will run before the movie showings at Megaplex 20.
This dinner show will also play in Layton and Logan.
Hunt Mysteries is in rehearsals for two of its most popular Halloween musical comedy murder mystery shows for October of 2009.
“Dracula’s Grand Masquerade Ball: Deadly Wedded Bliss” is scheduled:
• Oct. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 at Boccias D’Italia, 1045 N. Washington Blvd., Harrisville (Ogden area), 84404.
The cast is Casey Wayman, Melanie Wayman, Jacob Thompson, Sheri Gillies, Corie Sorensen and Lara Johnson. The director and choreaographer and show manager is Alisha Williams, music director is Sally Paskins, assistant director and show manager is Cassidy Kirkham.
Our second show, “Which Witch is the Head Witch?” is scheduled:
• Oct. 9, 10, 15, 16 & 17 in the scenic grand hall of Megaplex 20 at the District, 11400 South Bangerter Highway, South Jordan, UT 84095
• Oct. 23 & 24 at The Castle, 930 West Antelope Dr., Layton, UT 84041
• Oct. 29, 30 & 31 at the Riverwoods Conference Center, 615 S. Riverwoods Parkway, Logan, UT 84321.
The "Which Witch" cast is Mary Zullo Brassard, Emily Stevensen, Tonia Sayer, Anthony Porter, Chris Madriaga and Chris Cucera. Director is Mary Zullo Brassard and Jared R. Hunt. Music director is Emily Stevenson and choreographer is Natalie Fortie.
In “Which Witch is the Head Witch?” guests are invited to the specially convened election convention of the Wild and Woolly Western Witches Coven to elect a new head witch or warlock. Witchypoo, the coven's high exalted head witch, was found ashes to ashes and dust to dust recently, requiring all its members to convene for the purpose of selecting a new head witch or warlock. Who will win? Be forewarned, as with all politics, intrigue is likely to creep in. Keep your wits about you and try to uncover the clues that will unmask the killer! Guests mingle and dine with characters Syd Vicious, Peter Pyper Pepper, Ramon Contado, Serena VaVoom, Matilda Broomhilda and Glinda Glimmer.
In “Dracula’s Grand Masquerade Ball: Deadly Wedded Bliss,” guests are summoned by Count Dracula to his Annual Grand Masquerade Ball, where all the local monsters and townspeople join the festivities of illusion, mystery and intrigue. Rumors are circulating that Dracula, in a plot to rule the world, has killed Dr. Victor, the creator of Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s Bride. Entertaining his guest are Dracula’s three wickedly enchanting brides, Corruptya, Jezabel and Luna. Lurking nearby is a big bag of rags, The Mummy... or is it?
As in all Hunt Mysteries productions, the shows include top-rate singing, dancing and loads of comedy, plus audience participation, including interrogating the suspects (the actors) individually in solving the comedy murder mystery. Plus Hunt Mysteries uses a professional sound system and lighting along with professional sound technicians.
Hunt Mysteries has been doing dinner theater throughout Utah and surrounding states for more than 18 years. Though there may be imitators, there is none to match Hunt Mysteries' qualtiy performances.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Hunt Mysteries performed "The Altos: A Little Lower Than the Sopranos," its musical comedy murder mystery, for 500 guests attending the conference awards banquet for Savage Services at Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah. Hunt Mysteries teamed with Webb Audio to present a special edition performance of "The Altos" with special lighting, sound, video and staging to match Savage's theme "Savage Mission: Possible." Two video cameras and two spotlights were used to to capture and project the action onto two giant video screens that were set up on opposite sides of the stage so everyone could see the action even when the actors were performing down in the audience. The backdrop was an amazing addition to the performance and enhanced Savage's theme and spotlighted the James Bond silhouettes that were used during the evening's performance. Even the desserts sparkled with flashing lights as they were marched in and served to the guests at the conclusion of the performance. Special thanks go out to all those from Webb Audio who did terrific jobs, to The Eccles Conference Center for a beautiful setup and great service, to all the actors: Tony Porter, Joseph Thompson, Ryon Sharette, Andrew Lenz, Brittany Andersen, Mandi Jensen and Mary Zullo Brassard, and to the show managers Tonia Sayer and Chris Porter.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Comments on "Altos," "Bride," May 2009
Dear Lee and Nancy,
I cannot express how wonderful your cast and crew (of “The Altos”) were last Thursday (May, 7, 2009) evening for our Awards Banquet for the UMGMA at Deer Valley!! Everything went according to plan and the show was extraordinary! The actors were so engaging and entertaining that people were still talking about it after the show. It was fun, in good taste, and the performers were all so talented.Thank you again and please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any kind of reference.
Kathi NewmanWasatch Pediatrics/Utah Medical Group Managers Assoc.
“The Altos” Feb. 14, 2009 – The performance was wonderful! … All of the actors were wonderful!! I enjoyed their interactions and they had great stage presence!! I would definitely come to see any one of them in another performance here or anywhere!! I was there with my sister and we both thought that this dinner theater was a great treasure to find and experience! So much fun! … We enjoyed the actors sitting down with us and socializing like we were really part of the atmosphere! Thank you! … The movement of the actors weaving around the tables and interacting in every part of the room was a great way to include everybody! Nice job! Sincerely grateful for a wonderful experience and memories forever!!
Teresa
“The Altos” Feb. 13, 2009 – The performance was excellent … we’ve recommended Hunt Mysteries to many friends and family. Patti
“The Altos”Feb. 13, 2009 -- The actors were very professional. Each did a great job in their particular role, and the audience participation was just right. I already have recommend Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater to others. It was such a fun night out!
Tricia
“Godfather of the Bride” at The Castle May 9th was “AWESOME.” My 12-year-old said he’d rather go to the mystery dinner than LAGOON!!! The Bride was amazing – so cute and funny. But everyone was great!! And the audience participation was just right! We’ve recommended Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater to many of our friends.
Guest – Sherry Marchese
Our evening with Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater at The Hilton Garden Inn on April 22nd “was perfect.” My family had a fantastic time! Each one of the actors did a fantastic job of staying in character, and my son thought Trixie was “hot!” The amount of audience participation was just right and the quality of the sound system was very good. We have already recommended Hunt Mysteries to others. “Thanks for a memorable experience and a good evening!”
Guest – Kimberly Hunter
“I liked all the actors” in “Godfather of the Bride” April 22nd at The Hilton Garden Inn. “Of course, we thought our son Allen was superb. I really liked Harry and Carla. I wish she had had more of a part and that there had been more interaction between the two of them.” And the audience participation was enough but not too much. We will be recommending Hunt Mysteries to our friends and associates.
Guest – A. Smith
I cannot express how wonderful your cast and crew (of “The Altos”) were last Thursday (May, 7, 2009) evening for our Awards Banquet for the UMGMA at Deer Valley!! Everything went according to plan and the show was extraordinary! The actors were so engaging and entertaining that people were still talking about it after the show. It was fun, in good taste, and the performers were all so talented.Thank you again and please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any kind of reference.
Kathi NewmanWasatch Pediatrics/Utah Medical Group Managers Assoc.
“The Altos” Feb. 14, 2009 – The performance was wonderful! … All of the actors were wonderful!! I enjoyed their interactions and they had great stage presence!! I would definitely come to see any one of them in another performance here or anywhere!! I was there with my sister and we both thought that this dinner theater was a great treasure to find and experience! So much fun! … We enjoyed the actors sitting down with us and socializing like we were really part of the atmosphere! Thank you! … The movement of the actors weaving around the tables and interacting in every part of the room was a great way to include everybody! Nice job! Sincerely grateful for a wonderful experience and memories forever!!
Teresa
“The Altos” Feb. 13, 2009 – The performance was excellent … we’ve recommended Hunt Mysteries to many friends and family. Patti
“The Altos”Feb. 13, 2009 -- The actors were very professional. Each did a great job in their particular role, and the audience participation was just right. I already have recommend Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater to others. It was such a fun night out!
Tricia
“Godfather of the Bride” at The Castle May 9th was “AWESOME.” My 12-year-old said he’d rather go to the mystery dinner than LAGOON!!! The Bride was amazing – so cute and funny. But everyone was great!! And the audience participation was just right! We’ve recommended Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater to many of our friends.
Guest – Sherry Marchese
Our evening with Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater at The Hilton Garden Inn on April 22nd “was perfect.” My family had a fantastic time! Each one of the actors did a fantastic job of staying in character, and my son thought Trixie was “hot!” The amount of audience participation was just right and the quality of the sound system was very good. We have already recommended Hunt Mysteries to others. “Thanks for a memorable experience and a good evening!”
Guest – Kimberly Hunter
“I liked all the actors” in “Godfather of the Bride” April 22nd at The Hilton Garden Inn. “Of course, we thought our son Allen was superb. I really liked Harry and Carla. I wish she had had more of a part and that there had been more interaction between the two of them.” And the audience participation was enough but not too much. We will be recommending Hunt Mysteries to our friends and associates.
Guest – A. Smith
Friday, June 19, 2009
Salt Lake Newspaper Editors Give Me Heartburn!
Yes, I have always had a chip on my shoulder when it comes to coverage by the Salt Lake daily newspapers.
Here are some of my favorite peeves:
1. We are theater – but a different type, and Deseret News and Tribune fail to recognize that.
2. Why do the Deseret News and Tribune review seedy rock bands, lousy movies of all ratings, review all types of musical groups and unusual acts that come to town but refuse to ever check us out?
3. We’re more than community theater – more than 100 shows each year for the past past several years.
a. And, yes, we pay our actors at least $40 each and more depending on travel, etc.
4. We’re not like Pioneer Theater or Hale Theater or even Desert Star -- but we’re still a theater option that many people enjoy on a regular basis.
a. We are a different type of entertainment that features numerous key elements of theater: musical numbers, dance numbers, comedy, mystery, scripts and even improv.
b. It's interesting that even improv groups receive a higher billing that Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater.
5. We have a following of more than 13,000 guests who have signed up to be on our mailing list and more than 5,000 who have signed up to be on our email list.
6. Our professionalism is shown in the numerous comments from happy guests and clients.
7. Why does Deseret News refuse to look at us as legitimate but different theater?
a. I was told once by an editor that it was because we weren't legitimate theater -- whatever that means! Actually I think he meant to say mainstream theater. But theater has always been evolving, with new and different forms always being added. Mainstream theater to the Greeks were the classic tragedies. Shakespeare was ahead of his time in the circles of mainstream theater.
b. The editor said that when Hunt Mysteries had its own theater, then Hunt Mysteries would be legitimate. So Hunt Mysteries lined up a facility where we partnered in doing shows on a regular basis, and the Deseret News editors still ignored us.
8. Isn’t the definition of theater broad enough to include our style of dinner theater, which is even different from most other murder mystery groups around the country because ours are more like musicals?
9. Why doesn’t Deseret News or Tribune recognize how much Hunt Mysteries has grown, adapted and matured since Hunt Mysteries was formed more than 18 years ago -- not to mention survived?
a. Maybe because no one has done any type of review of our performances since the first year Hunt Mysteries was formed.
8. Hunt Mysteries has had favorable reviews from other publications, including City Weekly, Daily Herald, Ogden Examiner and Logan Herald Journal.
9. The Tribune editor once said in the first months of Hunt Mysteries' formation that she wouldn't give Hunt Mysteries "free" coverage because Hunt Mysteries wasn't legitimate.
a. And yet both newspapers are happy to now accept thousands of dollars from Hunt Mysteries for advertising but still won't do a review.
b. I was told once that I better stop pushing the editors to review any Hunt Mysteries shows or the paper would stop covering us altogether.
10. Once I noticed a rather lengthy commentary about a group’s great Web site, so I determined that Hunt Mysteries would create the best Web site we could. Hunt Mysteries has received many favorable comments from others, and even that editor complimented me personally on that fact. But not surprisingly, he made no mention of it in print.
a. Why not a paragraph about how great Hunt Mysteries Web site – how it lists all its shows, how you can buy tickets right off the Web site, how it has hundreds and hundreds of photos and even video of Hunt Mysteries shows and actors, including dozens of actors and actresses that win his praise when they appear in community theater or Desert Star, etc.
11. It used to be that every time Hunt Mysteries did a show, even if it was once a month, there would be a paragraph in the Deseret News Sunday arts drama story of our upcoming shows. But when Hunt Mysteries started doing shows more than once a month, the Deseret News cut back announcements about the shows to a few generic lines in Getting Out section that Hunt Mysteries does shows regularly and contact informtion.
a. The News refuses to list any details about the name of the show, specific locations, name of actors, etc. Yet almost everytime a competitor's group was mentioned, the owner's name was included and ususally with mention of his other achievements. Why is that? Elitism?
12. What makes the editors of the two Salt Lake newspapers think that a murder mystery on a train is the same type of theater as Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater performed in a nice dinner setting, with musical numbers, professional sound and lighting systems -- plus a comedy murder mystery.
13. I felt being an employee of the Deseret News was much more of a curse than a blessing as far as Hunt Mysteries was concerned.
14. What’s the big deal about non-profit theater groups? They get funding left and right and pay their owners or bosses big salaries, like Hale Theater. Hunt Mysteries is considered a for-profit theater, but the owner, now my son Jared, doesn’t get any salary and in fact doesn’t get paid anything.
a. Virtually everything made goes back into the business. There is no special funding for Hunt Mysteries, and it can’t get a fair shake even from the local media.
Here are some of my favorite peeves:
1. We are theater – but a different type, and Deseret News and Tribune fail to recognize that.
2. Why do the Deseret News and Tribune review seedy rock bands, lousy movies of all ratings, review all types of musical groups and unusual acts that come to town but refuse to ever check us out?
3. We’re more than community theater – more than 100 shows each year for the past past several years.
a. And, yes, we pay our actors at least $40 each and more depending on travel, etc.
4. We’re not like Pioneer Theater or Hale Theater or even Desert Star -- but we’re still a theater option that many people enjoy on a regular basis.
a. We are a different type of entertainment that features numerous key elements of theater: musical numbers, dance numbers, comedy, mystery, scripts and even improv.
b. It's interesting that even improv groups receive a higher billing that Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater.
5. We have a following of more than 13,000 guests who have signed up to be on our mailing list and more than 5,000 who have signed up to be on our email list.
6. Our professionalism is shown in the numerous comments from happy guests and clients.
7. Why does Deseret News refuse to look at us as legitimate but different theater?
a. I was told once by an editor that it was because we weren't legitimate theater -- whatever that means! Actually I think he meant to say mainstream theater. But theater has always been evolving, with new and different forms always being added. Mainstream theater to the Greeks were the classic tragedies. Shakespeare was ahead of his time in the circles of mainstream theater.
b. The editor said that when Hunt Mysteries had its own theater, then Hunt Mysteries would be legitimate. So Hunt Mysteries lined up a facility where we partnered in doing shows on a regular basis, and the Deseret News editors still ignored us.
8. Isn’t the definition of theater broad enough to include our style of dinner theater, which is even different from most other murder mystery groups around the country because ours are more like musicals?
9. Why doesn’t Deseret News or Tribune recognize how much Hunt Mysteries has grown, adapted and matured since Hunt Mysteries was formed more than 18 years ago -- not to mention survived?
a. Maybe because no one has done any type of review of our performances since the first year Hunt Mysteries was formed.
8. Hunt Mysteries has had favorable reviews from other publications, including City Weekly, Daily Herald, Ogden Examiner and Logan Herald Journal.
9. The Tribune editor once said in the first months of Hunt Mysteries' formation that she wouldn't give Hunt Mysteries "free" coverage because Hunt Mysteries wasn't legitimate.
a. And yet both newspapers are happy to now accept thousands of dollars from Hunt Mysteries for advertising but still won't do a review.
b. I was told once that I better stop pushing the editors to review any Hunt Mysteries shows or the paper would stop covering us altogether.
10. Once I noticed a rather lengthy commentary about a group’s great Web site, so I determined that Hunt Mysteries would create the best Web site we could. Hunt Mysteries has received many favorable comments from others, and even that editor complimented me personally on that fact. But not surprisingly, he made no mention of it in print.
a. Why not a paragraph about how great Hunt Mysteries Web site – how it lists all its shows, how you can buy tickets right off the Web site, how it has hundreds and hundreds of photos and even video of Hunt Mysteries shows and actors, including dozens of actors and actresses that win his praise when they appear in community theater or Desert Star, etc.
11. It used to be that every time Hunt Mysteries did a show, even if it was once a month, there would be a paragraph in the Deseret News Sunday arts drama story of our upcoming shows. But when Hunt Mysteries started doing shows more than once a month, the Deseret News cut back announcements about the shows to a few generic lines in Getting Out section that Hunt Mysteries does shows regularly and contact informtion.
a. The News refuses to list any details about the name of the show, specific locations, name of actors, etc. Yet almost everytime a competitor's group was mentioned, the owner's name was included and ususally with mention of his other achievements. Why is that? Elitism?
12. What makes the editors of the two Salt Lake newspapers think that a murder mystery on a train is the same type of theater as Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater performed in a nice dinner setting, with musical numbers, professional sound and lighting systems -- plus a comedy murder mystery.
13. I felt being an employee of the Deseret News was much more of a curse than a blessing as far as Hunt Mysteries was concerned.
14. What’s the big deal about non-profit theater groups? They get funding left and right and pay their owners or bosses big salaries, like Hale Theater. Hunt Mysteries is considered a for-profit theater, but the owner, now my son Jared, doesn’t get any salary and in fact doesn’t get paid anything.
a. Virtually everything made goes back into the business. There is no special funding for Hunt Mysteries, and it can’t get a fair shake even from the local media.
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