Hunt Mysteries

A Halloween wrap -- and two November openings

2010-11-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

After a hauntingly fun and successful Halloween season, Hunt Mysteries launches two musical comedy murder mystery dinner theater productions: “Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper” and “Hammer Spade & the Steel Murder.”

For the Halloween season between the two openings on Oct. 8 and the closings on Oct. 30th, more than 2,100 attended either "Wacky Witch's Wedding" or "Gravestoned: All Men Are CREMATED Equal." Many guests attended both dinner shows.
There were 23 Halloween shows performed during that span, with an average of more than 90 guests per show.

Guests came mostly from all along Utah's Wasatch Front & Back but also Wyoming, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, New York, South Dakota, Ohio, Texas and even Canada.

“Get a Clue’ opens Nov. 5 at Spaghetti Mama’s at Jordan Commons, 75 East 9400 South, Sandy, UT 84070, just northeast of The Mayan and the Megaplex 16 theater complex. “Hammer Spade” opens Nov. 6 also at Spaghetti Mama’s.
Other performances are scheduled through January at Spaghetti Mama’s and at Boccias D’Italia, 1045 North Washington Blvd., Harrisville, UT 84404, include the following:
11/05/2010 Spaghetti Mama's Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper
11/06/2010 Spaghetti Mama's Hammer Spade: The Steel Murder
11/12/2010 Spaghetti Mama's Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper
11/20/2010 Spaghetti Mama's Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper
11/20/2010 Boccias D'Italia Hammer Spade: The Steel Murder
12/02/2010 Spaghetti Mama’s Hammer Spade: The Steel Murder
12/03/2010 Spaghetti Mama's Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper
12/04/2010 Boccias D'Italia Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper
12/10/2010 Boccias D'Italia Hammer Spade: The Steel Murder
12/18/2010 Spaghetti Mama's Hammer Spade: The Steel Murder
Doors open and actors begin mingling at 7 p.m.
Show tickets are $15.00 per person in November and January, and $17.50 in December. Tickets for children 12 and under are $10 in November and January and $12.50 in December.
Both venues will offer separate food and beverage service during each performance. Once seated, guests can order from Spaghetti Mama's or Boccias special Hunt Mysteries menu, including a full line of beverages. Guests pay the venue separately for any food and beverages.
Book online at www.huntmysteries.com or via phone at 866-569-1482. Use Discount Code hmblog for $2.50 off per person.
In “Get a Clue,” stockholder in Atlas Inc., are guests at the specially convened Atlas Inc. stockholders meeting, where the founder and CEO Simon Lively is expected to reveal the reasons behind the sudden session. Many outside experts are speculating that Lively plans to address the recent secret advances at Atlas Robotics. But there are rumblings of discontent among many stockholders, including former employees and family members! Among those expected or unexpectedly to attend are Professor Prune, a former Atlas Robotics inventor extraordinaire who’s best friend is now Mr. Jack Daniel; Mrs. Peahen, Lively’s ex-wife who bares her claws at him but chirps sweet nothings to others; Col. Dijon, the world traveler and deep-sea treasure hunter who has spread himself thin financially but has always been able to get out of a jam; Mr. Mauve Green, the young master of Wall Street takeovers, is rumored to plan a “discreet appearance”; Rose Redd, who needs little introduction – her name says it all – she’s devilishly hot! Also, Miss Blanc, Simon’s French maid, will be in attendance to attend to Lively and his guests.
In “Hammer Spade,” the 1940s throwback to Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon has a dark shadow hanging over his past that haunts him to this day.
Included in that shady past is Beryl Goldwater, a tough woman who's climbed the ladder of success all the way to the U.S. Senate. Now Hammer finds himself caught between a rock and a Steel case -- the murder case of one, Stanislaus Steel, a mountain of a man who charmed his way from handling scary explosives to a safe and secure marriage to the wealthy heiress Parker Poise.
As part of hammer's sleuthing, he confronts Steel's very personal assistant, Artemis Hunter, and Steel's playboy brother-in-law, Standish Poise. Get ready to help Hammer bring down the hammer on the guilty in "Hammer Spade & The Steel Murder."
Next April, Hunt Mysteries will celebrate 20 years of doing shows throughout Utah and the Mountain West.

2 Halloween shows equal treats galore; only 3 more shows not sold out

2010-10-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010 has been a blast! So many performances sold out -- and so many great responses and memories!
In fact, there are only three shows not sold out: Oct. 28th at Spaghetti Mama's, Sandy, UT, for "Gravestoned: All Men Are CREMATED Equal" and Oct. 28th and 30th at The Castle in Layton, UT, for "Wacky Witch's Wedding."
Over the past three weeks, Hunt Mysteries has performed 17 shows and entertained more than 1,500 guests, including several employee company groups such as American Express, Carson Elevator, Viranum and PlatinumProtect.
One company, who enjoyed a night out with "Which Witch Is the Head Witch?" in 2009, booked a performance of "Wacky Witch's Wedding" this October at The Marriott in Salt Lake.

The coordinator for the company emailed us the next day:
"We had a "WONDERFUL" time!!! The interaction with your group and our group was so much fun to watch! I have heard nothing but positive comments about the whole evening! This was the first time many of our employees have attended a presentation by your group and they definitely want to attend another one!
Keep up the great work! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!"
Here's an email thanks from a guest at "Gravestoned: All Men Are CREMATED Equal" who brought 31 friends and family, including 18 kids, to our show Oct. 18th:
"Everyone had a really good time! It was pretty funny when Semore had two little girls at one of my tables crying because they were so scared of him. I had to laugh because my kids were a lot younger and didn't cry."
Thanks again for everything!!! My husband and I are excited to see more shows very soon!"
I talked with the actor later about that incident, and he said he really tried to tone his character down for all the kids! The actor's portrayal reminded me of
Johnny Depp and his crazy characters!
Having repeat customers is a treat! We love to visit with them! Here's a little story about becoming super sleuths:
When I attended the Sept. 11th performance of "The Altos: A Little Lower Than the Sopranos" at Spaghetti Mama's in Sandy, I sat at the table with a mother from Tooele and her three children. It was their first experience with Hunt Mysteries and murder mystery dinner theater. They weren't quite sure about all the ins and outs of the mystery but gradually warmed up as the actors visited our table and especially after opening scene and later the "comedy murder." By the end of the evening, the mother and her kids were all hooked! They were excited when I told them about our upcoming Halloween show at Mama's, "Gravestoned: All Men Are CREMATED Equal."

(Photo by Beth Bruner)
On Oct. 16th, I attended "Gravestoned" show at Mama's and that same guest from Tooele was there -- but with her husband -- for a night out! They had a great time. I told them after the show that they really should take their children to "Wacky Witch's Wedding" in Ogden before all the shows were sold out!
A week later at the Oct. 23rd matinee of "Wacky Witch's Wedding" at Boccias, that whole Tooele family was there. I seldom get the chance to actually attend a show, so it was very unusual that I would be at all the three same performances and even be able to speak with members of that same family.
But the real kicker to the story is that when the three main prizes were drawn from the hat from among all the correct answers at the conclusion of "Wacky Witch's Wedding" that afternoon, the names of those children from that same Tooele family were announced, one by one, as prize winners!
Yes, it was just luck of the draw that they won prizes, but it was more than that! They had learned how to play the Hunt Mysteries game -- so that their answer forms ended up in the hat at the end of the hunt!
At one of the other "Wacky Witch's Wedding" performances at Boccias, a young man, probably about 14, agreed to play a short part as the "werewolf" in the "Dating Game" segment for "Gigi," the beautiful young eligible witch. When it came time to howl, he could barely get out a squeak. Drac, in his best Count Dracula voice, piped up: "Perhaps this werewolf needs to go through puberty, first" -- and the audience howled with laughter!
We would love to hear from other guests who had the chance to attend our Halloween shows and hear their stories!
Want a discount to the three remaining Halloween shows? Use hmcastle for $3.00 off per person for Oct. 28 & 30th shows; use hmmamas for $2.50 off per person for Oct. 28th show.
And remember, two other shows open in November at both Spaghetti Mama's in Sandy and Boccias D'Italia in Ogden area. They are "Hammer Spade&the; Steel Murder" and "Get A Clue: The $tocks Caper."

Matinee of "Gravestoned" added - Spaghetti Mama's, Sandy, UT 10-23-2010 - AmericanTowns.com

2010-10-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Matinee of "Gravestoned" added - Spaghetti Mama's, Sandy, UT 10-23-2010 - AmericanTowns.com

Demand for tickets has required the addition of a matinee performance on Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at Spaghetti Mama's in Sandy and a noon performance at Boccias D'Italia in Ogden area.
The primary attire "color" for the "convention of morticians" at Spaghetti Mama's is black!
All costumed friends are welcome at "Gigi's" Witch Wedding at Boccias!

Hunt Mysteries does Fund-raiser for Sego Lily of Utah, 2010

2010-10-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

On Aug. 17, 2010, Hunt Mysteries joined with Sego Lily of Utah to present "Godfather of the Bride" as a fund-raiser dinner party at The Squatters Pub in Downtown Salt Lake. Each actor had a signer that duplicated the character throughout the show. It was a major success.

DON DONATELLO GIOVANI
THE “GODFATHER OF THE BRIDE”

REQUESTS THE HONOR OF YOUR PRESENCE

AT THE MARRIAGE RECEPTION OF

Bunny Beckenstein
And
Fingers Vinerelli

TUESDAY, SEVENTEENTH OF AUGUEST
TWO THOUSAND AND TEN

7:00 IN THE EVENING

AT THE SQUATTERS “SPEAKEASY”
(GIOVANI’S OPERA LOVERS’ CONVENTION HALL)
147 West Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

HUNT MYSTERIES
DINNER THEATER PERFORMANCE

ROARING 20’S ATTIRE RECOMMENDED

RSVP TO ??? or (000) 000-0000

NO GIFTS FOR THE BRIDE & GROOM

Hello Everyone!
I just got home from work. I was a "happy tired" all day just thinking about what a great success the event was last night. I can't relax tonight until I say THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL for your support and generosity to Sego Lily. Squatter's staff was awesome - they worked tirelessly and so smoothly (a special challenge with the roving actors)! The place was set up beautifully and the food was wonderful!! Please thank them for me! Amy and Amy (smile) thanks for your patience and being so accommodating! Joe, they need a raise, wink.

Lee the Hunt Mysteries drama troupe was incredible, wow! I could see they were really getting into it with the sign actors and they were paired up so perfectly! This was a fun opportunity for the sign actors to get out of the "straight laced" or more serious type of daily interpreting. They were soooo wonderful!

All of the guests had a continuous smile on their faces all through the evening - they came in with a smile and left with a smile. Many requested we do this at least annually! There are not very may theatrical revues that the Deaf community can truly enjoy, but we sure did last night!!

I look forward to working with Lee Hunt Mysteries again in the near future and Squatters too!

Again thanks for you all for your support. The funds earned will help many of our programs. I feel we've made some great friends in the process!
That's what its all about!
Appreciatively and fondly,
Joene NicolaisenExecutive Director
Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf

Riding the Wave of Halloween Mystery Entertainment

2010-09-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

Nineteen years ago, a little theater "experiment" launched members of a young Utah family on a crazy ride that they never anticipated.
In April of 1991, the Hunts staged their first comedy murder mystery for a paying audience at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort.
Suddenly they were caught up in a wave of participatory theater that has grown not only in Utah but throughout the country. Every month since that little "experiment," Hunt Mysteries has found itself planning and executing the "perfect comedy murder" while enjoying dinner at some of the top venues in Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming.

Part of that fun has been the tremendous growth of Halloween as a Utah and national holiday and as a favorite time for Hunt Mysteries' Halloween comedy murder mystery dinner theater.
First on the “menu” was "Which Witch is the Head Witch?," performed in October of 1991 at both Snowbird and at The Homestead in Midway, Utah.
Other monstrous Halloween mysteries have followed, including "The Beast Must Eat," "Wizardry Dies in the Dark," "Spirits Awake," "Little Shop of Witch Doctors," "Monsters Anonymous," "Dracula's Grand Masquerade Ball: Deadly Wedded Bliss" and "Circus Phantasmal." This October features a resurrected "Wacky Witch's Wedding," which will be staged at Boccias D'Italia in Ogden, Utah, from Oct. 8-23, and then at The Castle in Layton, Utah, Oct. 28-30. Hunt Mysteries' newest Halloween murder mystery, "Gravestoned: All Men Are CREMATED Equal," will be performed Oct. 8-30 at Spaghetti Mama's at Jordan Commons in Sandy. It's a fun venue right next to The Mayan and Megaplex 17 Theaters.

Also, Hunt Mysteries has arranged a special engagement at The Castle, 930 West Antelope Dr., in Layton, Utah, 84041 for three performances of "Wacky Witch's Wedding": Oct. 28, 29 & 30. For these three performances, tickets are $35.00 per person for the show AND dinner buffet. (No discounts or coupons will be accepted for these dinner theater performances at The Castle.)
Part of the added excitement that comes with Hunt Mysteries Halloween shows are the extra elements involved, including special lighting effects, sound effects, props, decorations, costumes – and just the Halloween ambience.
In fact, October has traditionally been the most popular month for attendance at Hunt Mysteries public performances. Private shows in October take a backseat to the special Halloween performances.
Show tickets are $15.00 per person; $10 for children 12 and under for shows at both Spaghetti Mama’s, 175 East 9400 South, Sandy, UT 84070, and Boccias D'Italia, 1045 North Washington Blvd., Ogden, UT 84404. Both venues will offer separate food and beverage service during the performances. Once seated, guests can order from the special Hunt Mysteries menus, including assorted beverages.
Doors open and actors begin mingling at 7 p.m. at all three venues. Each performance includes fun song and dance numbers, loads of family-friendly comedy and a mystery that each guest helps solve if they wish. Guests can individually question all the suspects, the actors and work through the clues in solving the "murder." Hunt Mysteries turns the theater experience upside down -- encouraging guests to break "the fourth wall" and engage the performers in a battle of wits and wit! An evening includes it all -- dining, comedy, mystery and full entertainment. It's tons better than the usual movie and a pizza.
Booking reservations are simple: Go online at www.huntmysteries.com or call 866-569-1482, and use Discount Code hmcircle to get $2.50 off per person.

In "Gravestoned," guests attend the Morticians Annual Cremation and Burial Rituals Expo (M.A.C.A.B.R.E.) 2010. Making M.A.C.A.B.R.E. product presentations will be Mortimer Stillman, owner of the ageless Stillman Funeral Home; Dorian D. Kay of DeKay Specially Funerals Inc.; Eudora Burns of the Burns-Goode Crematorium and Death Sciences Institute; Seymour Stiff, author and expert on all things Zoombie; and Pearl Goodbody, freelance makeup artist who specializes in making the living look as good as her corpses. Remember, it's never too early to start planning for your departure from this life -- so order your double-wide coffin with drink holder, snack fridge and cable TV today!

In "Wacky Witch's Wedding," a Witches Coven gathers on Halloween night for a wild and wacky witch's wedding. On that night, a trio of witches brews a potion so powerful that the unbelievable happens! Then the fun begins! But something goes wrong - as they often do when mysteries unfold: Has the potion been properly prepared? Is there someone festering the festivities? Will the wedding come off without a witch? Characters include Gigi Gomez, the young and eligible witch who awaits the "arrival" of her groom; Nerva Gomez, Gigi's mother who'll stop at nothing to make her daughter happy; Hazel Witch, Gigi's aunt who sometimes gets things mixed up; Serena VaVoom, who can put any man or warlock under her spell; Drak Gomez, Gigi’s off-kilter uncle who is always ready for a good drink; and "The Groom," a surprise twist.

As part of the Halloween celebration, Best Western's CottonTree Inn of Sandy and the Country Inn & Suites of South Jordan have teamed with Hunt Mysteries to offer special overnight packages that include two tickets to Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater throughout October. More details on the overnight hotel packages are available at www.huntmysteries.com for more information.

Performance for Salt Lake County Attorney's Campaign

2010-06-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hunt Mysteries once again had the privilege of doing one of its comedy murder mystery shows for Lohra Miller's Re-Election Fundraiser on June 4, 2010 at Cottonwoods Market Street Grill.
One of the highlights for the cast was the interaction with Utah's Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff, who has attended all three of Hunt Mysteries' performances for Lohra Miller campaign dinners.
One of the surprises was a quick visit from Democrat Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Carroon, who was "recruited" by Glo Starr (Mary Zullo Brassard) to be part of Ravishing B. Yuety's "chorus line" of dancers in the show "Walking the Red Carpet: An Oscar Winning Confession." He played along with the fun!
A fun night, a fun audience, a great venue, a yummy dinner and for a good friend!

Bride sellout at Spaghetti Mama's May 22, 2010

2010-05-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

We had a fun "Godfather of the Bride" performance Saturday at Spaghetti Mama's at Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah. First off, it was another sellout!
We had people from Rock Springs, Wyo.; Soda Springs, Idaho; Las Vegas, Nev.; Idaho Falls, Idaho; also from Springville, Ogden, West Point, Lehi, Brigham City, West Haven, Salt Lake, Taylorsville and West Valley, Utah.
We had two larger groups dress up in the Roarin' 20s attire, which we always encourage and which adds a lot to the show.
Julie Blatter, pictured top left, played Trixie Saturday night, and Emily Stevenson played Trixie the previous Saturday. Both are so good -- but different! On this last Saturday night, the audience loved Julie's opening number and really got the whole evening off to a great start! The audience was really in the mood to party!
We even made "The Nun Lady" happy: Acquired a new costume for Allen Smith so he didn't have to tie a black tablecloth around his body for the nun dress! We "misplaced" the previous dress but still have the cape and head costume piece.
While this cast, I and Jason Hunt were doing "Bride" Saturday night, our other cast was wrapping up a great week on the Mexican Riviera aboard Carnival's Splendor!
That will be the subject of our next post!
One of the guests, who happens to be a friend from the past who has done our shows, mentioned how superior the sound was Saturday night -- especially loved the microphones! We've come a long way, baby!
We'll be back at Spaghetti Mama's for another "Godfather of the Bride" on Saturday, June 5.

UTBA Review: "Godfather of the Bride"

2010-05-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

‘Godfather of the Bride’ – a refreshing evening
Posted: 19 May 2010 07:42 AM PDT
Playing select nights through June and July, 2010.
Written by: Katie Roundy | May 19, 2010.

SANDY — Everybody loves a good mystery, especially when they have a chance to get in on the action and help crack the case. Throw in some music, dancing and Italian food and you are good to go. Hunt Mysteries delivers it all with their latest show, “Godfather of the Bride.”
Set in mafia-run Chicago, the mystery dinner takes place at the speakeasy of Chicago’s No. 1, Don Donatello Giovani, (a room above Spaghetti Mama’s in Jordan Commons).

When guests arrive at the wedding reception of Fingers Vinerelli, Chicago’s No. 2 man, and Bunny Beckenstein, a platinum dancer, they are in for a unique experience.

Far from the quiet role of a mere observer, you play a pertinent part in this performance. Right off the bat, you are thrown into the theater world. Before entering the ‘reception’ you must first obtain a password from Harry “The Lip” Smackerelli. After a trip through the wedding line and a quick order from the menu, the show begins.
Just like a real reception, the couple takes a moment to eat, mingle with the crowd and provide a bit of entertainment. There was singing, dancing and the traditional throwing of the bouquet. As part of the festivities, Fingers taught an Italian dance and invited audience members to dance along.

As cast members mingle they reveal more of their past and hint at their dark secrets. Near the end of the evening, the unthinkable happens and you are invited to help solve the mystery. This is not a casual night out, the murder mystery requires constant attention to pick up all the details for further investigation. You actually get a chance to grill the cast to weed out the murderer.

While the show was fun and fresh, it was also a bit confusing. This may have something to do with the fact that I have never seen “The Godfather” and therefore missed some of the parodies.
Instead of a traditional theater auditorium setting, the realistic setting of a wedding reception added to the ambience. There were moments when I honestly felt I was at a wedding reception, celebrating as a guest with the bride and groom.

With a mix of characters from different backgrounds, there were a wide variety of accents. Unfortunately the accents were a bit disappointing and somewhat sporadic. It seemed the cast was worried more about the way they said things than what was being said and as a result the performance fell flat. A little more practice and tweaking of the accents would prove a more authentic performance.

From where I was sitting the music was also a bit too loud. At times it was difficult to follow what was happening, as Italian music rang in my ears.
One of the highlights of the evening, besides dancing with the groom, was chatting with my new friends at our table. We got a chance to get to know each other while we threw around our suspicions.
While there were a few kinks in the performance, it was nothing a little tweaking couldn’t fix.

If you are looking to jazz things up and break away from the monotonous dinner-and-a-movie outing, this is the play for you. Just make sure you come prepared to “play” along.
Godfather of the Bride plays select nights through June and July. More information can be found at HuntMysteries.com.

Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper

2010-05-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

Closing night for "Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper" was our opening night at Spaghetti Mama's on April 24, 2010. We had a sellout for the show and had a fun night!

Cast off to Mexican Riviera

2010-05-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

Stayed up until 5 a.m. this morning putting all the packets together for the ongoing mystery for our Mexican Riviera Cruise. That one is done by the other guests going on the cruise with us. There will be things gong on once a day throughout the cruise -- fight scenes, crime scenes, etc.
Then I had to get back up at 6:30 a.m. to get the actors, plus Nancy, Nathan and Jared, on their way to L.A. for the cruise.
Cast is all pumped for the cruise and the two shows they'll be doing: "A Cruise to Remember: Mystery Afloat" and "Walking the Red Carpet: An Oscar Winning Confession.

The six actors are Tony Porter, Jeremy Hall, Mary Brassard, Tonia Sayer, Heidi Potter and Alisha Williams.
Next up is "Godfather of the Bride" tonight at 7 p.m. at Spaghetti Mama's with Bruce Craven, Emily Stevensen, Justice Jex, Allen Smith, Casey Wayman, Elise Groves and Nancy Candrian. Great cast! Still have about 20 tickets for tonight. Next Saturday, There are only 13 tickets available for May 22nd show already! Julie Blatter is doing Trixie next week. Gary Thompson may do Harry if Casey's wife, Melanie, goes into labor with her twins!
The cruise cast won't be back until Monday, Oct. 24.
Humm! I think I'll fly to Cancun! Yea, right!

Opening Night at Spaghetti Mama's in Sandy

2010-04-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Hunt Mysteries staged its first weekly comedy murder mystery performance at Spaghetti Mama's at Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah.
We were pleasantly surprised over our sellout first night with "Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper," with Jeremy Jonsson as Col Dijon, Shea Potter as Mauve Green, Heidi Potter as Miss Rose Redd, Krystal Day as Miss Blanc, Tonia Sayer as Mrs. Peahen, Scott Thompson as Simon Lively and Chris Kucera as Professor Prune.
The cast did a great job in a different venue and with a different setup. There were a few bugs with the format, which we expect to smooth out for the next show, Friday, April 30th.
The manager of Spaghetti Mama's and The Mayan was very pleased with the turnout and with how the our first night went -- including the revenue.

The audience just loved the interaction with the actors -- especially Heidi's song numbers. Actually all the cast's song-and-dance numbers were terrific.
Nancy and I especially enjoyed the evening with my Uncle Clifford and his fiancee, Susan, who attended the dinner show. They didn't solve the mystery -- but they came close!
One of the guests brought her 10 year old son to the show as his birthday request. He had a great time interacting with the actors during the sleuthing. He didn't solve the mystery right, but I told him that the first one is always the hardest -- but now that he knows how everything goes, he'll do better next time.
We especially appreciated having Brittany Nielson as the head waitress at the show for Spaghetti Mama's because she's been in several of our shows. She understood what we were doing and was able to coordinate the food service.

Utah Theater Bloggers Association

2010-02-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

"Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper" is well worth investigating
By Dave Mortensen, Utah Theater Bloggers Association : 2010-02-22

OGDEN — I’ve always been a little cautious of dinner theatre and didn’t know quite what to expect. Granted, I knew I wasn’t going to be snacking on a lamb shank while A Midsummer Night’s Dream played on a stage in front. What’s more is this promised to be a murder-mystery-musical dinner theatre performance. Simply put, I was more than pleasantly surprised by my night with Hunt Mysteries and I’m pretty sure you will be too.

Hunt Mysteries partners with several restaurants and venues across the valley (and beyond) to provide a nice sit-down meal with their show. So, my guest and I were seated at a table with another party of two. None of us had been to a Hunt show so we were all a little unfamiliar with how the night would go.

Turns out that the written script only fulfills about a third of the night’s performance. At 7 o’clock the actors filtered into the banquet room and slowly began to visit each table to introduce themselves (as their character) and get to know us. Immediately we were thrust into the roles of stockholders for Atlas Inc.—the invented company hosting the night’s dinner. A murder was going to happen later in the evening so we knew that we needed to find out all we could about the characters before it actually happened.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous about being put on the spot to converse with these characters. The first character to shake my hand was Col…I mean Captain Dijon (Jeremy Johnson). He was quite affable and made us feel a little more keen to the idea of getting involved in the game. Next came Professor Prune (Chris Kucera) who played a marvelous drunkard who suddenly became sober real quick when the murderous explanations were…explained later in the night. He was a lot of fun though. We asked him plenty of questions on his backstory and sure enough he had it down.

After the brief meet and greet, dinner was served and we were lucky enough to have two of the actors seated at our table. That was a delight as Rose Red (Heidi Potter) and Miss Blanc (Mary Brassard) garnished our dinner with pleasant conversation on whether or not our host Mr. Lively (Chris “Madman” Madriaga) should love a scarlet floozy or a sweet and pure work colleague—they apparently didn’t think the ex-wife Mrs. Peahen (Tonia Sayer) offered too much competition. Throw Mr. Greene (Shea Potter) into the mix with his fruity non sequiturs and I wasn’t sure who to follow in order to anticipate the prime suspects.

After dinner, someone died. No need to expand on that. Everyone knew it was coming.

The audience was encouraged to leave their tables and question characters in order to figure out who the murderer was. Our table stayed put but thanks to some sample interrogation questions left at the table we had a good idea of what happened. Sadly, I didn’t trust the most likely answer and instead accused an innocent character that completely lacked any motive. Yeah, that didn’t play out too well. Just remember, you really can figure out the murder. Hunt Mysteries isn’t out to trick you with a surprise ending. And I like that! We can trust their story and if you pay attention you’re bound to be playing the role of Sherlock Holmes and being eligible for a prize at the end of the show.

This is not Shaw, Moliere, or Agatha Christie. It’s not meant to be. Hunt Mysteries promises and delivers an enjoyable night at the theater. That’s exactly what it was. I completely trusted the world these actors presented to me. It was delightful when they broke out into a slightly tweaked version of “Money, Money, Money” from Mamma Mia! or “Love You I Do” from Dreamgirls. The music was hopping and I couldn’t help but smile and just enjoy being there. It was a party and I was invited. That sounds a little odd, but it’s true. My heart tells me I don’t like cheesy theatre, and this was not cheesy theatre. It was fun theatre (and the food was good too! The next time I’m in Ogden I’m definitely checking out their full menu).

Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper plays Saturday, March 13th at 6:30 PM in Boccia’s Pizza Bistro located at 1045 North Washington Blvd. in Ogden. Tickets are $34.95 and can be purchased by calling 801-569-1482 or HuntMysteries.com.

"Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper" -- Opening Weekend

2010-02-18T01:24:00.000-08:00

"Get a Clue" cast opened its run Feb. 11th at a Baptist Church in Layton with about 150 in attendance, and then followed with a Friday dinner show with 70 guests and a Saturday show with 150 guests -- both at The Castle in Layton.
Chris "Madman" Madriaga did a great job first playing Col. Dijon Friday night and then Simon Lively Saturday night.
Shea Potter, playing the suave Mr. Mauve Green, did a great job of creating a fun entertaining character to match the British character Col. Dijon, played by Jeremy Jonsson and Madriaga. Heidi Potter as Rose Redd captured the audience with her singing, dancing and fun choreography. What a hoot seeing Jeremy doing that crazy song-and-dance routine with Heidi -- not to mention his great British character. Tonia shines as Mrs. Peahen and matches the strength of Simon Lively, played by Scott Andrew and Madriaga. Krystal Day does a great French maid, Miss Blanc, and shined in the spotlight for her song solo. Then there's Chris Kucera doing a fantastic job on his song/dance -- with the rest of the cast as backup dancers.
Alisha Williams did a great job as director and choreographer, and music director Anjentte Mickelsen really whipped the cast into shape. I loved the harmony in all the songs, and the opening number and reprise really tied the show together and had the audience members all but singing along at the end.
Next up is Boccias on Saturday, Feb. 20th, and then two college shows.

"Get a Clue: The $tocks Caper"

2010-01-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Audition for new Hunt Mysteries show:
Date Thursday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 9, 1 p.m. (with callbacks at 2:30)
Location Auditions are at Embassy Suites, 600 South West Temple.
Director: Alisha Williams
Rehearsals Rehearsals will start the week of Jan. 11 with the first show the 2nd week of February. Rehearsals will be located in Salt Lake City, location TBD.
Public and private shows for conventions, employee parties, family parties throughout the Wasatch Front area.
Also, some shows may include out-of-state traveling, usually via airlines or Amtrak.
Note Show details: In the show, the audience members gather for the specially convened Atlas Inc. stockholders meeting. The founder and CEO Simon Lively isn't revealing the reasons behind the sudden session, but it may to address the recent advances at Atlas Robotics. But expect rumblings of discontent among the stockholders, former employees and family members as Simon says -- sit down! There are three male characters and three female characters.

PROFESSOR PRUNE: An inventor extraordinaire who’s best friend is now Mr. Jack Daniel.
SIMON LIVELY: Whatever Simon says, goes at Atlas Inc.
MISS BLANC: Simon’s French maid is scared white she might lose the man of her dreams – not to mention all the green.
MRS. PEAHEN: Simon’s ex-wife bares her claws at him but chirps sweet nothings to others.
COL. DIJON: The world traveler has spread himself thin financially but has always been able to get out of a jam.
MISS REDD: Her name says it all – she’s devilishly hot!

Come prepared with a comedic monologue, an upbeat song and your own music, a resume and a photograph. No accompanist will be provided.

Hundreds of new photos added to website

2010-01-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

We have added hundreds of new pictures of our shows taken in 2009. Go to www.huntmysteries.com and click on pictures. Included are pictures: Altos at The Castle in Layton, Savage production at Ogden Eccles Center, Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan and Downtown Marriott. Cast members: Tony Porter, Joseph Thompson, Ryon Sharette, Shea Potter, Clayton Barney, Mary Brassard, Tonia Sayer, Corie Sorensen, Danielle Palmer and Katie Shultz. The Phantom Killer at La Caille, The Castle and The Riverwoods in Logan. Cast members: Tony Porter, Clayton Barney, Mary Brassard, Danielle Palmer, Sheri Gillies, Heidi Potter, Andrew Lenz, Tonia, Sayer, Jeremy Jonsson and Jeremy Hall. Dracula's Grand Masquerade Ball at Boccias D'Italia in Ogden. Cast members: Sheri Gillies, Corie Sorensen, Lara Johnson, Melanie Cannon Wayman, Casey Wayman and Jacob Thompson. Which Witch is the Head Witch? at The Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan, The Castle in Layton and The Riverwoods in Logan. Cast members: Tony Porter, Chris "Madman" Madriaga, Chris Kucera, Mary Brassard, Tonia Sayer and Emily Stevenson. Oscar Winning Confession at The Riverwoods in Logan. Cast members: Brian Durous, Shea Potter, Erica Richardson, Tonia Sayer, Kylie Bird, Allen Smith and Heidi Potter. Also, Moors actors and Can-Can girls for event at McCune Mansion. Cast: Gary Thompson, Nancy Candrian, Vic Groves, Phil Lindhardt, Emily Stevenson, Tonia Sayer, Natalie Fortie, Heidi Potter and Liz Boggess

Blast from the Past

2009-09-18T01:58:00.000-07:00

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?

Night for Ronald McDonad

2009-09-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

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!

Hunt Mysteries: Dracula's Grand Masquerade Ball - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

2009-09-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

Hunt Mysteries: Dracula's Grand Masquerade Ball - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Posted using ShareThis

Hunt Mysteries Dinner Theater at Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan

2009-09-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-07-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Comments on "Altos," "Bride," May 2009

2009-06-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

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

Salt Lake Newspaper Editors Give Me Heartburn!

2009-06-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

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.