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Opera House Stage Company is now in rehearsal for the murder mystery dinner theater show, "The Sound of Murder." Performances will be September 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22 at the Monticello Opera House.
The story is set in a 1940's radio studio in the Grand Ballroom of the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Audience members will be the radio station's "live studio audience."
The owner of the station is desperately trying to keep it afloat, but someone else wants the station to fail to make way for the big new thing, television. There is a murder, and everyone seems to have had motive and opportunity. Audience members will be invited to use their detective skills to identify the guilty party. Prizes will be awarded to successful sleuths.
The character Freddy Farnsworth is WMDR's stage manager, and he is close to going crazy trying to manage the station's chaos and disorganization. Freddy is played by Stage Co. and MadCo regular, Caleb Goodman.
Robert, the owner's son,, who is more than a little manipulative, is played by Steve Cordle. Steve is a newcomer to Monticello, and he is the pastor of the Church of Christ on South Highway 19.
Another new face for the Opera House Stage is Patty Hamilton. Patty fills the role of Shelley, a Florida farm girl who has come to Chicago to "make it" in show business. Patty is actually from Minnesota, and she is a state employee as well as a graduate student at FSU.
Brannan Salter plays Foley Roberts, who has traveled from Monticello to Chicago to win back his old girlfriend, Shelley. Through no fault of his own, he is pressed into service as the sound effects guy for the station.
Angie Perry fills the role of Vivian Fredericks, whose career has seen better days, quite a while ago. She is never far from her next martini. Nonetheless, she retains her charm.
Jack Williams is directing "The Sound of Murder," and also playing Sir Gilbert, and older down on his luck Shakespearean who has been reduced to working in cheesy radio shows. One of the other characters describes Sir Gilbert as a "pompous windbag."
Debbie Cordle is the show's stage manager, and she will be assisted by her daughter, Amelia.
Scenes of the show will alternate with courses of dinner. Tickets are $35 to $45, which includes dinner. Reservations are needed, and they can be made by going to monticellooperahouse.org or calling (850) 997-4242. Tune in to WMDR!
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