Killer Performances: Marriott's 'Murder for Two' a Farce to Be Reckoned With -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Murder for Two
a musical comedy
Marriott Theatre
Lincolnshire, IL
Thru August 26
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The question with Murder for Two--beyond "Whodunit?"--seems not really to be "Will you like it?" but "How much?"

Reflected by the rabid standing ovation awarded on the show's opening night, it's hard to imagine anyone not being considerably impressed, at least by the performances of Jason Grimm and Noel Carey.

The only two people in the cast, both men act, sing and play the piano. 

With music by Joe Kinosian, lyrics by Kellen Blair and a book credited to both, under the direction of Scott Weinstein at Marriott Theatre Carey embodies Marcus Moscowitz, a cop who stumbles upon the murder of mystery novelist Arthur Whitney and begins to investigate.

He enters the crime scene, Whitney's mansion--here, a spiffy, rotating set by Scott Davis--and begins to interview the suspects, each a house guest played by Grimm.

Yes, while Murder for Two is a musical, comedy, mystery thriller, detective story, farce and something of an onstage film noir, most emphatically it is a 12-character showcase for an extremely talented actor--in this case Mr. Grimm.

It would probably be funnier for you to come across these characterizations without being all too aware, so I will only note that among those Grimm rotates through are Whitney's widow, an all-too-eager niece named Steph--who sings "He Needs a Partner"--and a (presumably) beautiful ballerina.

Unlike Marriott Theatre's stock in trade, the 90-minute Murder for Two isn't a first-rate Broadway musical, yet Carey and Grimm's vocalizations and piano playing are terrific throughout.

And songs like--the presumably titled, as there is no songlist in the program--"A Friend Like You" and the wickedly funny "We've Seen a Lot Worse" are quite enjoyable.

As already noted, Murder for Two should be entirely likeable to almost anyone who sees it, including Marriott's vast subscriber base. It is unique, clever and wonderfully performed.

It was nice for a change of pace--and one friend dubbed it fantastic--but I didn't quite like it on par with a sensational full-fledged musical. 

And while it may remind of Sunset Boulevard--both the Billy Wilder film and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on it--as well as Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap and Humphey Bogart film noirs like The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon, it only really achieves greatness as a whimsical performance piece, not a musical, murder mystery, character study, etc.

None of which means "don't see it."

Grimm and Carey themselves are worth the price of admission.

But it's summer in Chicagoland and there are lots of things to do, not just including theater to see. 

So while Murder for Two is sure to delight, whether it's worth killing yourself--let alone anyone else--to get to it is a mystery only you can properly unravel.