Anyone in need of cheer this holiday season will find it at Capital Repertory Theatre. They are offering the charming and clever “Murder for Two: the Holiday Edition,” through December 28th. It’s a guaranteed smile inducer.
To be clear the show is not a laugh-a-minute type work. It’s the kind of funny in which you offer knowing laughter, chuckles and broad smiles. And it’s so consistent and fast you leave the theater certain several jokes flew right past you.
It’s easy to assume the work which uses only two performers with one actor playing a dozen roles might be one of those silly experiences that wear out their welcome rather quickly.
This is not the case at The Rep. Yes, the material is slight, but not foolish. What makes the experience work - besides an amazing performance by Joe Kinosian - is that there is actually a mystery taking place.
Too, the young, eager policeman, who desperately wants to be a detective, takes solving the crime very seriously. With the solid, sincere and understated performance by Anthony Norman to guide us, so do we, the audience.
>> Indeed in a work in which every character is over-the-top eccentric, the piece itself is rather subdued - in a maniacal way. If that makes sense to you, you know what I mean.
Kinosian, who plays all the suspects is superb as he generates unique, varied, and distinctive characters. His subtle characterizations of strange individuals are both comic and sincere. The magic of his choices is that near-caricatures become real people. Thus the laughter they generate is drawn from truth rather than farce. This probably has something to do with Kinosian co-writing the book of the show with Kellen Blair.
A caveat I have with the play is its slow start. The work, as with all murder mysteries, needs exposition. However, in a short time the people become real and even interesting.
As for the plot - a famous author, who is hated by all attending his surprise birthday party - is shot dead as he enters a blackened room. Once the crime is established characters are introduced in a light-hearted manner. It’s fun, but it’s not until we meet and accept the characters that the play takes off.
The suspects all played by Kinosian are: a not-so-grieving widow, a psychiatrist who counsels all in attendance, a bickering couple, a famous ballerina and a young woman who wants to be a criminologist. Perhaps the most fun of all are the three members of a 12-person youth choral group.
Kinosian creates each of these characters with an artistry that is fascinating. With hardly any props he established each person as an individual and a legitimate suspect. On the off chance that the material doesn’t appeal to you, Kinosian’s performance will win you over.
Norman more than holds his own playing against such an impressive co-star. His portrait of a young, sincere and ambitious officer, nursing his own torments, is charming and a perfect counterbalance to Kinosian.
Remarkably, both men are excellent pianists. Individually, each is impressive and when playing together they not only create music, they perform mini-plays within a play.
As for the music, a couple of songs work on their own, but few will be remembered outside the theater. However, Blair’s lyrics are witty and critical as they serve as dialogue revealing much about the character who is singing.
As for the holiday aspect of the show, it is set on Christmas Eve. A Christmas Tree and holiday decorations make the stage look festive, but it is essentially the same show that played at Adirondack Theatre Festival in 2010, and at the Rep in 2015.
“Murder for Two” finds the truth in the saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It was fun then; it’s fun today.
“Murder for Two” plays a Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany. For tickets and schedule information go to attherep.org.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
