Utah Valley actors star in Hunt Mysteries dinner show

By Deseret News  Aug 2, 2007
Two Provo residents are included in the cast for the Hunt Mysteries dinner theater original show that will play in Ogden, Sandy and West Jordan within the next two months.

Justice Jex plays the Wizard of Odz and and Chanelle Reanee plays the Odz twin Nine-to-one in "Loveship Winaprize: Against All Odz."

The original comedy murder mystery, written by Joyce Gunther, is scheduled to play Aug. 11, 18, 31; Sept. 22 at Boccia's D'Italia, 1045 N. Washington Blvd., Ogden; Aug. 17 at River Oaks Clubhouse, 9300 Riverside Drive (700 West), Sandy, and Sept. 22 at A Classic Choice Catering, 7879 S.1530 West (just east of Redwood Road near Sizzler), West Jordan.

Dinner guests join the maiden voyage of the Loveship Winaprize as Capt. Jirk and his intrepid crew — including Science Officer Spork, Medical Officer Dr. Bonsey, Chief Engineer Snotty and Communications Officer Lt. Manura — go boldly into the open seas of space, warping toward the mysterious Planet Odz. Adventure and some good Odz await, possibly even the Odz Twins: Seven-to-one and Nine-to-one.

Other cast members include Andrew Lenz (West Jordan) as Capt. Jirk, James Schroeder (West Valley City) as Science Officer Spork, Brandon Rufener (West Valley City) as Medical Officer Dr. Bonsey, Tonia Sayer (West Valley City) as Communications Officer Lt. Manura and Patricia Mayer (Salt Lake City) as Odz twin Seven-to-one. The director is Nancy Candrian (Sandy), and choreographer is Patricia Meyer.

Tickets are $40 a person, and discounts are available online at: www.huntmysteries.com. All shows start at 7 p.m. For more information, call 801-569-1482 or toll-free 866-569-1482.

HUNT MYSTERIES' A CRUISE TO REMEMBER

Posted by Julia Shumway, Jun 28, 2010                                                                                                      SANDY — This was my second time attending a Hunt Mysteries show, and they are a 2-for-2 success in my book. Now, mind you, you have to go to a Hunt Mystery with the right mindset. You should probably never go to a play in the upstairs of Spaghetti Mama’s expecting classic theater. You’re not going to be gleaning deep existential truths or viewing incisive character development. The point of Hunt Mysteries is to provide a fun evening. And they do that very, very well.

Upon boarding the cruise ship (i.e. Spaghetti Mama’s), we were met by several members of the cast mingling among the dinner guests. We were met by Julie O’Connor, the ship’s activities director, who scheduled us all for tennis matches; the kind, wealthy, and stupid Hubert Amster and his young and beautiful fiancée Rebecca McKay; Nicholas Rossi, a prodigal playboy; Chastity, the cruise’s gold digging entertainer; and a mysterious woman in black who kept getting into everybody else’s business.

Cast members pose with guests at Spaghetti Mama's in Sandy,
including Tonia Sayers, Tony Porter, Alicia Williams,
Jeremy Hall, and Mary Zullo.

The cast for this sort of play have a special sort of talent. In addition to acting, singing, and a knack for comedy, these actors also have to be able to interact well with the guests. As you might expect in an interactive play like this, some people get really into it whereas other people remain more reserved. The cast did a great job of getting everybody involved – speaking to everyone present and leaving no one out – and then allowing people to participate as much or as little as they chose.

In this particular performance, certain audience members were asked to take a small role in the play. A few audience members were given script cards and got to play the parts of Captain Steve, a letter courier, and a few of Nicholas Rossi’s former flings. Many of the people attending were part of the same large group, and I think this made it particularly fun for them to see their friends “on stage.”
Once we’d all boarded, the real story began. Rivalries and romance, mystery and music, and several well executed references to An Affair to Remember all ensued. We were treated to singing, dancing, and a lot of humor. I was impressed by the knack several of the actors had for humor. I couldn’t get enough of Mary Zullo Brassard (as Julie O’Connor), Tony Porter (as Hubert Sayer), and Heidi Potter (as Chastity). Besides that, I’d rather not give away too much of the story because half the fun is becoming acquainted with the characters’ pasts, aspirations, and . . . motives.

I will admit that the romantic aspect of the story did drag on a bit for me. Perhaps I wanted even more intrigue, or perhaps I wanted more comedy. I think it was really that certain aspects felt forced. Two lovers had parted ways several years before this cruise brought them back together, and the explanation for their separation seemed like an insufficient afterthought.

When the inevitable murder occurred, the audience was given a few minutes to interrogate the cast and try to guess the murderer. The audience was given papers with hints of questions to ask that might help solve the crime. Another great example of involving everyone, the audience was given the chance to get up and go talk to the cast, or (as with everyone at my table) we could stay in our seats and wait for cast members to come to us.

In this particular play, it wasn’t really possible to solve the crime without guessing (In the last Hunt Mystery I saw, solving the crime was very doable, so I’m not sure which is the norm). Only one person in the audience was able to determine the murderer, the weapon, and the motive. All the same, the point of the evening was more the novelty of an evening of humor and music than of the mystery, anyway. So I didn’t really mind.

I’ve gotta hand it to Karyn Tucker, in her first directorial experience with Hunt Mysteries, for pulling off an overall well executed evening. I was impressed by music (music director Anjanette Michelsen) and by all the actors’ vocal talents. The dancing, choreographed by Alisha Williams, was delightful and humorous.
Hats also go off to the staff at Spaghetti Mama’s for providing quick service and remaining unobtrusive. I thought it was noteworthy that I was never distracted from any part of the play by the servers. The only complaint I have about the venue was sound quality. Of course, just like I knew I wouldn’t be treated to Shakespeare, I also knew the place wouldn’t have opera hall acoustics. Still, though, there were times when I couldn’t understand or hear what the actors said. This was mostly noticeable during the musical numbers.

Hunt Mysteries is good, clean fun. The acting is great. The musical talent is evident. The stories are entertaining. While there are flaws, they rarely distract from the experience or the atmosphere. Sure, it’s not classic theater, but it certainly is a good time.

Review of Hunt Mysteries, Utah Theater Bloggers Association

Posted Aug 6, 2011

SANDY — I have never been to a murder mystery, which is pretty much the reason I volunteered to see this show.  Theater, food, and murder, too?!?  I was excited.

Before I headed off to Through the Window Glass, I did a quick UTBA search for previous Hunt Murder Mysteries, just to get an idea of what to expect.  I scanned/read a review by Craig Mustoe and found the following items: (1) The sound system had problems, (2) The actors were enthusiastic, and (3) Good times were had by all.  My experience turned out to be quite similar.

In the upstairs banquet room of Spaghetti Mama’s, we became dinner guests of Dolly Dallas (played be Heidi Potter), a charming woman whose wealthy husband, Tex, is mysteriously absent from the festivities.  But her sister and brother-in-law, the Dalhs, are in attendance, along with Tex’s business associate, Sean.  There are a maid and a window washer attending, as well.  Plot-wise, nothing much happens; it’s a dinner party.  But I’ve decided that audiences are quite forgiving when they have food in front in of them.  The same show, in a traditional theater setting, would not have worked.

There are a lot of great things about what Hunt Murder Mysteries presents each weekend.  The content of the show is enjoyable and compact.  The songs, jokes, and over the top characters leave no room for boredom and the evening flies by with two “intermissions,” one to allow the audience to eat dinner, and another to question the characters.  It would be a great date activity because of the laughter and the interaction that naturally ensues between table-mates.  My husband and I sat at a table with four strangers, who we would normally politely ignore, but at Hunt, somehow we fell into conversation.  The actors would visit each table and make awkward and hilarious comments; we couldn’t help but laugh and empathize with one another.

Sadly, the microphones did have issues.  And the music levels often drowned out the singers; I could barely hear Elise (Nancy Candrian) sing, “I Can’t Say No.”  Cringing for the cast and crew, I crossed my fingers that it would all work out.  But there were sound problems throughout the show, and since Craig’s review posted months ago, I worry that this is a persistent issue with Hunt productions.  Please fix this problem, Hunt MM, and you will improve the show so much.

It was fun to hear familiar songs, like “Hello Dolly,” “Love and Marriage,” and “New York New York.”  I enjoyed, too, that Lee Hunt had incorporated original lyrics into some of the songs.  I kept feeling like I was missing things, though, when a mic was giving feedback or an actor wasn’t enunciating clearly.   The speed of the show may also have been a factor.  I wanted to catch every bit of the humor.

Dolly’s bubbly personality was so likeable, as it was written to be, I’m sure.  I didn’t want her to get hurt or disappointed, which I thought she might (based on the promotional image of Dolly looking through a window at a dead body.)  My other favorites were Rain Jeppson’s singing voice as she played the role of Barbie Dahl, and the window washer’s (Justice Jex) hilarious surfer accent (“Dude” and “Totally” were heard many times.)  The French maid’s accent (Nancy Candrian) was one thorn in my side, though, especially when she sang her solo and lost it altogether.  If an actor is going to use an accent, I expect it to be consistent and to add to, rather than detract from, the character.

One more thought: Is it morbid of me that I wanted to see the dead body?

When we were asked to name the murderer, I had to absolutely guess; I consider myself intelligent, but I really didn’t pick up the clues I was supposed to.  Maybe the key plot points could be even clearer, for those murder mystery rookies like me.  The cop that I sat next to was very involved in the mystery and in tracking down the perpetrator.  (She got it right, by the way.)

If you are looking for a nice, dark seat in a large anonymous audience—Hunt Murder Mysteries are not for you.  I was, honestly, caught off guard by the actors, fully in character, greeting me with gusto.  And when we were all encouraged to interrogate these same confident thespians, I was thoroughly intimidated.  It’s just a fact that this type of venue isn’t for everyone, but I loved it, despite my shyness, and will definitely be attending again.

The Hunt Murder Mysteries production of Through the Window Glass plays August 12, 20, and 27 at 7:30 PM at Spaghetti Mama’s (75 E. 9400 S., Sandy). Tickets are $10.50-$15.50, with dinner and drinks sold separately. For more information, visit www.huntmysteries.com.

Amber Peck is a lover of art, theater, and music. She does her very best to brainwash her four children into loving the same things. Amber has been a reviewer for the UTBA since 2010; it's been a great way to participate in Utah's theater community.

Hunt Mysteries' Halloween Wacky Witch's Wedding

The grand witch adds her potion to the cauldron.

Witches around the cauldron do
their magic in comedy dinner show.

Witches battle in Halloween Comedy Murder
Mystery Dinner Theater at Gardner Village.

Jesse Greathouse, left, entertains a
sleuthing guest at Gardner Village. 

4 cities and 2 Hunt Mysteries Halloween shows in 2009

Comments from Halloween dinner guests 2009:

Dracula Show: “The actors were awesome & very talented. This is a lot of fun!  I would recommend it to everyone!”

“It was funny and very entertaining!”

“The production was fun.” My favorite part was “the interaction of the performers.”
“Show had great performers, great costumes and difficult mystery to solve. We had a great time and would do it again!”

“Show was very entertaining; liked getting involved; could not stop laughing; You can tell the cast enjoy doing this and is not just a job.”

“The cast was very interactive with the guests and very entertaining!”

“The actors were great, the singing, too.”

“I liked that we got to dress up and interact with the cast (i.e. coming to our table and engaging us) was fun.”

“We enjoyed the show and interaction with the characters.”

“Show was interactive; great music; fun to dress up. We had a blast!”

“We really enjoyed the fact it was very interactive and the actors were completely immersed in their characters. The fact they were so into it and very serious about their parts made it so when asked a question such as I did Count Dracula why, being a Vampire, did you choose Italian cuisine for your menu? Does the garlic not bother you?’ The actor didn't miss much of a beat and simply answered "Oh, as long as I do not ingest it, I am fine. It gives me, as you say, the winds.’ It was a great answer.… All the actors were wonderful.

“The actors gave it their all, and the whole experience/play was very good. The singing performances were great!  Much better choreographed and executed than we expected. It was the actors that really brought the place to life.”
“My 15 year old and her girlfriends loved dressing up for the masquerade. They also loved the interaction between the characters and the audience. This was great fun and worth every penny!”

I really liked the whole thing … but if I have to choose the best, it would be how well the actors could improve and interact with the guests. (The thing that I truly like best was the custom fangs that all the vampires had. I am a phlebotomist, and I would love to have fangs as awesome as theirs!! LOL! It was an incredibly entertaining and fun date for my wife and I. I can’t wait for next year!!!

“Talented performers! Nice combination of entertainment and dinner, fun show!”

“We'll definitely be looking to do this again sometime - hopefully with some of our friends.”
“We attended the “Which Witch” show at "The Castle" in Layton and the “Dracula” show at Boccias D'Italia in North Ogden. We enjoyed the food and show at Boccia's the best. The entertainers were engaging from beginning to end.”

 “Which Witch” show: “Show was so much fun, I loved the audience involvement, and it just makes it feel like Halloween!”

“The actors were engaging, friendly, wonderful singers and ridiculously funny!

It was fun, light-hearted – and I loved the audience participation.  My two favorite characters were Peter Pyper Pepper and Glinda.”  Every cast member did a fabulous job staying in character and reacting appropriately to situations.

I loved the interaction with the audience

 “We enjoyed it all!”

“The actors were fun, and funny.”

“Show was entertaining and made you think.”

I really enjoyed the show. I thought it was fun and really entertaining.”

2 Halloween dinner shows in 2008 in 2 Utah cities

KUTV-2 news segment on "Godfather of the Bride"

Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater for Savage Services, June 26, 2009

Red Hatters join Hunt Mysteries cast for group photo

Seven Peaks Water Park Hunt Mysteries