Review: MURDER FOR TWO in New Haven

"They put the laughter in manslaughter" is the tagline for Murder for Two, the new musical playing at The Long Wharf Theatre through August 30.

Murder for Two is a combination of Agatha Christie, camp, cabaret, and Saturday Night Live with actors Kyle Branzel and Ian Lowe playing 13 characters. (Martin Landry and Branson Lambert are the understudies. I mention them because the performers must not only be excellent actors, but dancers and musicians. There is a lot of piano playing in this show.) Branzel plays the various suspects and Lowe plays the police officer/aspiring detective. The plot is straight out of Agatha Christie. Arthur Whitney, the great American novelist, comes home to his surprise party and is shot in the forehead. Whodunit? It could be his wife, any of his frenemies whose lives he exploited for his novels, or the three kids who are hired for the party as "entertainment."

The book by Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair, with music by Kinosian and lyrics by Blair, supplement a story that's over the top. It's a brilliant concept, but it doesn't quite deliver because it tries too hard. It needs tightening and some restraint. That said, everything else about this production was superb. Branzel and Lowe have all the theatric and musical skills needed to pull off this or any other show. I would see them perform again in a heartbeat. Director Scott Schwartz worked every angle of the show's zaniness flawlessly. Beowulf Boritt's eclectic set was impressive, with its grey brick wall, stately doors and just the right fittings for the actors to own the stage and use every part to enhance the show. Particularly funny was the scene during which Lowe tried to stop Branzel's seemingly endless song by trying to take apart levers on the wall and bashing him. Jason Lyons's lighting and Jill BC Du Boff's sound design complemented Boritt's set impeccably.

For tickets, call 800) 782-849 or visit www.longwharf.org. For more information about the show, visit http://murderfortwomusical.com.