Get ready to place a bet and roll some dice, Murder on the Strip is coming to the South Cariboo just in time for Valentine's Day.
The second production being organized by the newly formed Cariboo Players, Murder on the Strip is a dinner theatre murder mystery set in a Las Vegas Casino. Cariboo Players founders Miranda Wasstrom and Gina Gigliotti, who are directing and performing in the show, said after the reception of Murder in Margaritaland in August of 2024 they were eager to see if the community's enthusiasm for dinner theatre was sustained.
"We got a pretty good response to the last one so we decided we wanted to take a stab at doing another one. We've titled the one Murder on the Strip with a Vegas-style theme where murder happens at the Casino," Wasstrom explained. "Last time all the guests were invited to come to Coconut Joe's Margaritaland Resort and this time it's going to be the casino owner's one-year anniversary for the casino opening."
Since their initial production, Gigliotti said she and Wasstrom have received many compliments and requests to do another. While they had initially hoped to do something around Halloween or Christmas, scheduling conflicts meant they had to put it off until this year. Wasstrom added they chose to run it on the Valentines' Day weekend to give couples something fun to do.
Wasstrom said like last time the cast will only have a basic script, relying on improv and guest interaction to tell the story of what leads up to the eventual murder. The seven-member strong cast will be bringing to life a variety of Vegas stereotypes including showgirls, a lounge singer, a C-grade Elvis impersonator, the casino owner and a shady mobster.
"You can't have a crappy Elvis without him performing and the showgirl and our lounge singer will actually be performing those types of things," Wasstrom remarked. "Since it's Vegas we'll have roulette and fake sports betting."
Like Murder in Margaritland Wasstrom said Murder on the Strip will be taking place in the Eatery's Banquet Room in the 108 Mile Ranch. Gigliotti noted dinner will not be buffet style, however, this time each guest is asked to select four courses from a prepared menu when they buy their tickets. Tickets are $80 each and available at the Eatery or by emailing caribooplayers@gmail.com. There will be two shows, one on Feb. 14 and one on Feb. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.
Both Wasstrom and Gigliotti said that because of some of the more adult themes revolving around theft, relationships and obviously murder the show is best enjoyed by those 16 and older. They noted alcohol will also be served during the show including a Queen of Hearts Martini.
Guests are encouraged to dress up in their fanciest Vegas attire and get into the spirit of the show. Wasstrom remarked each table will be named after a different kind of casino game and she is looking forward to decorating the banquet room. She noted that her cast is having a lot of fun bringing this story to this life and can't wait to share it with the community.
"It's a tangled web that all the characters weave. Even in the few rehearsals we've had watching the cast bring the characters to life is what I'm most excited about," Wasstrom remarked.
Gigliotti agreed, noting that the advantage of the dinner theatre approach is that it's a much smaller commitment for actors compared to a full play.
"Because it's not necessarily scripted it changes as we rehearse. We hone in on the things we like but it flows. It's an organic thing that's happening, that's what is fun about it," Gigliotti said. "The interactions with the tables, that changes everything."
Anyone looking for further information is invited to contact caribooplayers@gmail.com.
