Review: MURDER FOR TWO Asks Musical Questions

Murder for Two

Book and Music by Joe Kinosian, Book and Lyrics by Kellen Blair, Directed by A. Nora Long; Music Director, Bethany Aiken; Choreographer, David Connolly; Scenic Design, Shelley Barish; Costume Design, Tobi Rinaldi; Lighting Design, Heather Crocker; Sound Design, Andrew Duncan Will; Dialect Coach, Bryn Austin; Production Stage Manager, Nerys Powell; Assistant Stage Manager, Betsy Pierce

CAST: Jared Troilo, Kirsten Salpini

Performances through December 24 at Lyric Stage Company, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-585-5678 or www.lyricstage.com

Murder for Two is a musical whodunit, a theatrical parlor game played by a pair of versatile actors who provide their own piano accompaniment. Jared Troilo is the cop hoping to make detective, if he can solve the murder case, and Kirsten Salpini plays "all of the usual suspects," among them the not-so-grieving widow, a Freudian shrink, and an eager detective wannabe. Over the course of an hour and forty minutes, they entertain with song, dance, and shtick, toss around a couple of red herrings, and unwrap the mystery of the murderer's identity when they finally figure out who should take the rap.

Think of this as a revue with a familiar story, the musical numbers being what sets it apart from its more dramatic forerunners. Murder for Two is a bagatelle, light-hearted and short on substance, but long on the charm of its energetic twosome. Troilo has shown his chops at the Lyric Stage in last year's My Fair Lady (Freddy Eynsford-Hill) and in a trio of shows at SpeakEasy Stage (Far From Heaven, Significant Other, and Dogfight), but playing Marcus Moscowitz takes advantage of different talents. The obvious one is serving as his own accompanist, but the role calls for him to play comedy and to let us see his sweet vulnerability, as well. He and Salpini have great chemistry in their scenes and make beautiful music together at the keyboard.

Making her Lyric Stage debut, Salpini is not yet a staple on the Boston theater scene, but I predict that is about to change. Her winsome stage presence is a major factor in the plus column of this show. She plays a total of ten characters, shifting personas on a dime with distinct differentiation of posture, accent, tone of voice, and attitude, so we easily know which one she is inhabiting after she's gone through the roster once. In addition to the aforementioned suspects, Salpini also plays a bickering couple, a femme fatale ballerina, and a trio of streetwise nine-year old boys (the latter characterizations enhanced by dropping to her knees and raising her voice half an octave). She combines comedic timing, graceful dance moves, lovely vocals, and pizzazz on the piano to meet all of the challenges of her demanding role.

Director A. Nora Long and Choreographer David Connolly use the small thrust stage to their advantage, moving the action from side to side, upstage to downstage, and to the boundaries of the exit ramps. Scenic designer Shelley Barish provides a black and white faux marble floor with large swaths of "blood," and the only set pieces are an upright piano and a chaise. Heather Crocker's lighting design adds noir atmosphere, costumes are by Tobi Rinaldi, Sound Designer is Andrew Duncan Will, and Bryn Austin serves as dialect coach. Bethany Aiken is Music Director.

There are few props, a simple set, no costume changes, and only the piano to put across the dozen musical numbers. Sometimes he plays, sometimes she plays, and sometimes they play four-handed duets. The bottom line is that the weight of the world is on their shoulders. It helps if the audience can see all of the other people on the stage, and it seals the deal if the actors jell. Fortunately, Troilo and Salpini are adorable together and make a good case for Murder for Two.

Photo credit: Mark S. Howard (Kirsten Salpini, Jared Troilo)