Review: MURDER GONE WRONG At Harwood Prairie Playhouse

Harwood Prairie Playhouse presents: Murder Gone Wrong

The super talented team of David Lassig (Playwright/Director) and Shanara Lassig (Director) are back once again to get us all laughing out loud. They are joined by HPP veteran Rick Mangahas as Stage Manager. For this year new original production we get Murder Gone Wrong: An Alfred Hitchcock Spoof. If you have ever seen one of David's original shows before then you know you are in for a treat. They assembled a phenomenal cast who all bring their best.

Basically the show is about a crazy woman who can't accept that her ex-boyfriend/fiance is with someone else so she hires someone to kill him. Then you factor in murphys law and you are in for non-stop laughter throughout.

You mix in a wild cast of characters that each play their part and the audience is kept on their toes. Did I mention the laughter?

Daniel Damico as Ned is such a talent. Over the years I have watched Daniel share his talent with the community, not only on stage but also as a director. From the first time I saw him many years ago in Forever Plaid at FMCT, to his amazing performance in A Few Good Men just last year, he never disappoints. He really gets to show off his comedic timing here and does it with ease.

Emma Beyer as Stella is absolutely wonderful (Who was also in A Few Good Men). Her and Daniel work so well together and she also has some great comedy chops. I also have to mention how well she worked with Jack (Tony)... Their scenes were some of the funniest of the show.

Speaking of Tony, Jack Chudy easily had my favorite character of the production. I literally laughed every time his character was part of a scene. Let's just say that the show would not be the same without him.

Sara Ervin as Margot played the bitter (maybe a little crazy) ex-girlfriend so well She is a veteran of HPP and it's always a joy to see her on stage again. Although she wasn't on stage as much as the others, she made each moment memorable.

Dawn Thompson and Linda Hinrichs as Marnie and Norma were so much fun. They played those nosy neighbor ladies that we have all encountered before. Such a wonderful combination of annoying and funny. Two more local stage veterans helping bring the show to life.

Jim Luchsunger and Reid Strand as Alan and Alfred round out the cast. Jim is quickly becoming a regular on local stages, and I am very happy about that. He is such a talent and played the cop so well. Reid has been a regular for a while now, and I even had the pleasure of interviewing him on my podcast a while back. His character is much different that I have seen before, it's so great to see the range.

Every one of these actors and actresses gave 110% and helped put on such a fun, hilarious and entertaining show. You still have a few more chances to see this and I highly recommend it.

Photo Credit: David Lassig