Chicago Shakespeare Extends Murder for Two—A Killer Musical Thru 7/31

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) premiere comedy Murder for Two-A Killer Musical has been extended six weeks through July 31, 2011, by popular demand. Created by Joe Kinosian (music/book) and Kellen Blair (lyrics/book), this 90-minute Agatha Christie-like whodunit musical comes with a surprising twist: one actor plays the inspector, the other plays all 10 suspects, and both play the piano. Staged by CST veteran director David H. Bell, the premiere features the show's co-creator Joe Kinosian playing the slew of hilarious would-be criminals and Chicago favorite Alan Schmuckler performing the role of the inspector.

Tickets for Murder for Two-A Killer Musical Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare now through July 31, 2011, are $25-$30. Performances are Wednesday-Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. (There will not be performances at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 3.) All patrons receive a 40% parking discount at Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com/murder.

Developed at CST under the guidance of Creative Producer Rick Boynton, Murder for Two-A Killer Musical mixes the suspense of an Agatha Christie mystery with old-fashioned musical comedy and a dash of modern panache to tell the tale of an inspector's crime investigation at the home of a recently deceased novelist. Hoping for a promotion to the ranks of detective, the inspector takes on the dangerous task of interrogating the murdered novelist's eccentric relatives and so-called friends (all played by Kinosian)-and discovers that no one is who they appear to be.

Murder for Two-A Killer Musical creators Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair met in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, where they are advanced members. Kinosian received a Jerry Harrington Award for Creative Excellence from the BMI Foundation in 2009. The BMI workshop has been home to many award-winning musical writers, including Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), and Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line). Kinosian has appeared as a piano-playing actor in Dirty Blonde (Hangar Theatre) and Bitch!:The Autobiography of Lady May Lawford (FringeNYC), in addition to arranging the score for the world premiere of Frank Loesser's Of Mice & Manhattan at the Kennedy Center.

Alan Schmuckler, a celebrated Chicago musical theater actor, returns to Chicago Shakespeare after a recent Jeff Award-nominated comedic turn in Sugar at Drury Lane. His acting credits at CST include Much Ado About Nothing, The Two Noble Kinsmen and Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew. Schmuckler wrote the music and lyrics for last summer's CST Family musical The Emperor's New Clothes, a CST-commissioned adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, and he is also the co-creator of CST's original musical based on Aesop's Fables, How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?

Director David H. Bell's creative team for Murder for Two-A Killer Musical includes Scenic Designer Scott Davis, Costume Designer Jeremy Floyd, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer James Savage, Wig and Make-Up Designer Melissa Veal and Properties Master Chelsea Meyers.