Review: MURDER FOR TWO at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

MURDER FOR TWO at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is a new, fun, and hilarious musical murder mystery. When novelist Arthur Whitney is murdered at his own birthday party, an investigation ensues to figure out whodunnit. 

The show stars Jackson Tubis as the "detective," Marcus, and Christopher Gallacher as The Suspects - yes, all of the suspects. These two were a fantastic duo in a fast-paced show. Gallacher is spectacular at portraying each suspect. With the help of different props, voices, and mannerisms, he transforms from Dahlia to Steph, Dr. Griff, Barrette, Murray, Barb, Timmy, Yonkers, and Skid. It's quite remarkable to watch, and incredibly fun. Each character becomes easily identifiable as the show progresses, allowing for the audience to become engaged and entertained by the hilarity that ensues. The actors break the fourth wall with the audience, poking fun at the fact that there are only two actors in the show so they are often "talking" to other characters who may not be "there" at the time. They also do engage with the audience frequently, even pulling an audience member up at one point to play Dr. Griff briefly.

The two actors are the ones playing the music on the piano during the production rather than having an orchestra accompany them. I really enjoyed this and thought it added a lot to the show; they were both incredibly talented musicians, and there's a fun moment at the end of the show where a camera allows you to see them playing piano together. The simplicity of the show and having a limited cast allowed for a connection to the audience in a way I thoroughly enjoyed. It is performed with no intermission, so both actors are on stage nearly the entire time. This is a fantastic feat, and they kept the energy up and the audience engaged the entire show.

This production was directed and choreographed by Victor Legarreta, alongside Scenic Designer Dominic Lau, Technical Director Cody O'Dell, Lighting/Video Wall Designer Chris McCleary, Sound Designer Robert Agard, Musical Supervisor Paul William, Musical Assistant Loren Strickland, Costume Designer John P. White, Stage and Deck Manager Sean Rodrigo Royal, and Artistic Producer/Casting Brian Enzman. Each did a lovely job with this show. It felt very cohesive and worked well all together.