Brittany Pirozzoli (l.) and Brianna Kellum (Photo by Charlie Chappell)
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
DETNY Theatrical Productions at Vitello’s Restaurant
Through October 31
Anthony Carro, Brittany Pirozzoli and Noan Blake (Photo by Charlie Chappell)
In the immersive A Killer Night in Studio City, written by Kevin Allen Jackson and Kristine Dickson, Sophia, a beautiful young starlet, dies mysteriously in a solo auto accident on Pacific Coast Highway, and her lovers and colleagues gather for a memoriam held at Vitello’s restaurant in Studio City. The question posed to audience members is: Who are these people and is one of them responsible for her death? A (pricey) ticket to the show serves up a buffet meal (alcohol excluded) and a play in which the various characters recall the dead woman while accusing each other of being her murderer. The audience members are invited to speculate on who that killer might be. A cigar box containing clues has been placed on everyone’s table; Among other items in the box are a magnifying glass (purely symbolic) and a letter in code (which my companion spent considerable time trying to decipher, alas unsuccessfully). A prize is awarded to the party at any table who solves the mystery, and there were two winners on the night I attended.
The story is set in 1958. The characters include Johnny Turner (Anthony Carro), a handsome young movie star reported to ave been the starlet’s fiancé; his mom (Brianna Kellum), a controlling matriarch who owns the restaurant; a makeup artist, Arthur Clarkson (Scott Striegel), who claims to be the only one who knew what Sophia really looked like underneath the makeup, and who she really was underneath the glamor; Ronnie Bennett (Noah Blake), another actor who claims to have been close to Sophia (you get the feeling that Ronnie’s career has seen better days); Edith (Sarah Wolter), a gossip columnist who is having a heck of a good time reporting on this hot and juicy scandal; and Sophia herself (Brittany Pirozzoli), the most cryptic character of all, who shows up midway through the story. (So who is the dead body on the highway?)
Directed by Blake, the action takes place in three locations: outside the restaurant, where the super hyped-up Edith lays out the back story; the restaurant’s Rendition Room, a cozy bar and lounge where the motor-mouthing drama queen Mama takes center stage, and the more spacious Martini Lounge where the story finally plays out as guests partake of their pasta and chicken parmigiana and peruse, if they wish, the clues in the box. In this final most lengthy segment, talented pianist Johnny Perl provides accompaniment to one or another of the performers, who. between hurled accusations, break into song — tunes like “My Way,” “One for My Baby” and “Mama.” The vocals are good, and Holter even hits some operatic notes.
The script sports no literary pretensions; the aim of this show is fun, and writers Jackson and Dickson do a good job of parodying the faux-shocked tone of a ludicrous scandal sheet.
But the performance standard is uneven. As an alluring blonde that men find hard to resist, Pirozzoli gets the highest marks for presence, sex and flair. Carro also underplays the grieving swain to good account; the plot may be silly but he is convincing. Kellum’s casting, however, is a puzzlement; this performer is a good 30 years too young to play a bossy Italian mama, and her strained efforts only highlight the cliches embedded in the character. The other performers need work either to rein in their exaggerated personas or to more fully develop them.
Perhaps because it is billed as an immersive show, director Blake may have felt it necessary to have actors deliver their lines from different angles in the Martini Room, which is fairly large — but to me this device serves little purpose.
Costume designer Juliette Lunger dresses Sophia to advantage, especially the near-backless little black number she slinks around in. As to the buffet repast, it’s standard Italian American, perfectly edible, but with no surprises.
Vitello’s Restaurant, 4349 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City; check website for schedule; thru Oct. 31. https://www.akillernightlive.com/studiocity/tickets Runtime: Approximately two hours with an intermission
