by Guest Reviewer T.E. Klunzinger
First, full disclosure: this reviewer was in the well-remembered Lansing Civic Players’ production of this show over 30 years ago which featured Starlight Founder Linda Granger as Lettie, Jane Shipley as Lady Grace and Winifred Olds as Miss Tweed, all directed by Judie Town; this Starlight Dinner Theatre production is dedicated to the latter two ladies. (I couldn’t possibly have been in this one because, well, somebody has to write the review.)
And indeed, Something’s Afoot was silly fun then and it’s silly fun now. After starting small in Atlanta nearly 50 years ago, it meandered through several regional productions, had a short run on Broadway in 1976, then picked up steam after its London run and has enjoyed hundreds of productions since then.
What makes this seemingly derivative trifle so durable? We all know the standard Agatha Christie plot in which a diverse bunch of people gather in an isolated mansion on a dark and stormy night… and then someone starts killing them off. Who’s the killer? What’s the motive? Who’s next to go? These questions tickle our fancy while we enjoy the songs, most of which sound like we’ve heard them before, somewhere.
As Miss Tweed this time around, Jane Shipley Zussman is the heart and soul of the show, managing the tricky lyrics as deftly as she rallies the remaining guests to “carry on!” even as they keep dropping like flies. It’s been noted she’s waited over 40 years to play this role — having played Lettie in 1978, as well as Lady Grace in 1989 — and for the rest of us, we must thank Ms. Granger and director Kelly Stuible-Clark for giving her the opportunity.
The rest of the cast are in fine form too, particularly Ben Holzhausen, posing furiously as Nigel, Kelly Sandula-Gruner, ineffably happy as Hope, John Roche showing his stiff upper lip as Col., Gillweather and Anthony Mandalari showing all the right moves as young Geoffrey.
One would have liked to have seen rather more of Dan Templin's stuffy butler, Matt Ottinger's diagnostic doctor and perhaps another song from Carin McEvoy's imperious Lady Grace, but, well, stuff happens.
And the crowd loved Ty Schalter as Flint singing the virtues of his “teeny little dinghy” to Colleen Bethea as Lettie, the saucy maid.
The colorful costumes by Julie Dodds and Ms. Granger enhance the period feel (it’s 1935) and the manor-house mien of the large and complicated set are well-done, although the set tends to compete with the actors for stage space until they start dying off.
Director/choreographer Kelly Stuible-Clark has successfully pulled together the many tricky elements of the show – fraught with peril as they might be – and, with Nicole Martin and Kait Wilson on the keyboards, given us an enjoyably memorable evening’s entertainment which you should definitely see.
Something’s Afoot plays again tonight at 7:30, next Friday and Saturday at 7:30 all with dinner starting at 6:30; reservations at 599-2779 are ESSENTIAL if you want dinner although you can opt for the show only. A dessert-only matinee will start at 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 27.
http://www.starlightdinnertheatre.com