Last month, my husband and I were invited to attend the official opening of Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre's Apprentice to Murder, an interactive murder mystery based on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. With a quirky mix of celebrities who try to solve the case, dinner guests are able to interact directly with the characters while taking notes in order to determine the guilty party. Aside from the Donald, other characters included Sue Polyester, Regis Fildin, Joan Rivets, Lindsay Lohest, Gary Boozy and Madame Gaga. Yes, the perfect recipe for outrageous hilarity. (I will leave it to you to figure out which real-life celebrities they are impersonating.)

This was my first time experiencing mystery dinner theatre and I was not disappointed. While I had always pictured mystery dinners to be more, well, mysterious and dramatic, Apprentice to Murder proved to be nonetheless engaging and positively witty. Fired celebrities, special guests and celebrity judges took to the stage as the two final contestants competed to win $1 million for their charity.

The actors arrived shortly after I had finished a M.Y. "Waldorf" salad followed by a spicy chicken paprikash and a Trump Triple Threat Brownie, which was to die for. (Pun intended.) During the interim, the actors roamed the room introducing themselves to the guests, dropping important details about their characters and also enlisting guests to take on minor roles throughout the show. My husband got along well with Sue Polyester who chose him to play the role of a former bull fighter. Don't ask. My only wish was that Madame Gaga had kept her hands off ma man. The two of them were getting just a little too close for comfort.

Written by Ken MacDougall, Brian Caws and the cast, the script was mostly well-written and chock-full of glib repartee, humour and clever double entendres. Madame Gaga treated us to fun renditions of Lady Gaga hits and I was thoroughly impressed at her vocal abilities. She even played a tune on the grand piano during one of the songs, all the while working the damper pedals in her stilettoed boots. Now that's talent. Laurence Prance, who plays Boozy's character, was hilarious; Ken MacDougall nailed several Donaldisms; and Danny Wengle could have easily passed for Regis Philbin. 

Mysteriously Yours is located on Yonge St. two blocks north of Davisville Avenue. You can catch a dinner show Thursdays through Saturdays or a lunch matinee on Wednesdays. Regular prices range from $60-$71 for dinner and a show or $40-$45 for the show only. While you can bring children who are age 9 or older, I recommend making it a date night. Children will likely be to young to understand most of the jokes.

Thank you to the producers Lili and Brian Caws for having us as your guests and for putting together a truly entertaining show.

Additional Reviews:

The Fine Art of Murder - Fall 2012
Once Upon a Murder - Winter 2013

Uptown Abbey - Summer 2013
Speakeasy - Spring 2014 
Getting Hitched - Winter 2015