Snoop's Theatre Thoughts

Murder For Two
Book & Music by Joe Kinosian, Book & Lyrics by Kellen Blair
Directed by Michael Kostroff
STAGES St. Louis
June 12, 2025

Ian Fairlee, Jeremiah Ginn
Photo by Phillip Hamer
STAGES St. Louis

Murder mysteries are popular fodder for comedies, it seems, with hits like Clue, The 39 Steps, the musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and many more. I guess there’s something in the heightened characterization and melodrama inherent especially in old fashioned Agatha Christie-style mysteries that makes a great basis for laughs. The latest show from STAGES St. Louis, Murder for Two, is in this vein, with a tagline that says it “puts the laughter in manslaughter”. And there are lots of laughs here, with clever staging, great casting and characterization, frantic piano playing, and fun production values that add to the riotous, slapstick atmosphere of this violently entertaining show. 

As the title suggests, there are only two performers in this show, who play all the characters and also provide musical accompaniment taking turns at the piano,  sometimes jockeying for position, and sometimes playing together. One actor plays police officer Marcus Moscowicz (Quinn Corcoran, standing in for principal Ian Fairlee)  along with a few extra voices, while the other performer (Jeremiah Ginn) plays all the other characters, who become suspects in the murder of mystery novelist Arthur Whitney, who appears as a dummy “body” on the stage throughout most of the show. The suspects include Whitney’s theatrically ambitious wife Dahlia and his persistent grad student niece Steph, along with famous ballerina Barrette Lewis, psychiatrist Dr. Griff, three streetwise young boys’ choir members, and a firefighter. There’s also an invisible character, another police officer named Lou, who accompanies Marcus on the investigation and serves as something of a confidant for characters’ emotional stories. When the lead detective is late to arrive, Marcus is assumed to be a detective and tries his best to solve the case before the real one arrives. 

That’s the setup, and once the story gets going, the characters and situations quickly become wackier and wackier, with a backstory for everyone–including Marcus, who is still reeling from a previous relationship that ended in disaster. There are hidden secrets, surprise relationships and revelations, and lots of frenzied singing and piano playing from the two energetic leads, with both excelling in their roles. Ginn, in the somewhat showier role, is truly fantastic, making quick changes between characters with mannerisms and minimal prop changes, from the insistently theatrical Dahlia to the amorous Barrette, to the clever and persistent Steph, and more. Corcoran is also a treat as the eager, protocol-obsessed, lovelorn Marcus, and the two work together especially well, with their dueling piano skills impressing all the more. The staging is crisp and fast-paced, with lots of surprises. The script can get a bit too silly at times, but I suppose that’s the point of a show like this, although I thought some plot points (particularly Marcus’s obsession with impressing Barrette) were dragged out a little too much. Still, the energy is remarkable, and the laughs are nonstop, with the audience being especially appreciated in the performance I saw. I plan on going back to catch Fairlee’s performance at some point in the run*, but I had no regrets about seeing the marvelously talented Corcoran in the role.

The overall stylized, frantic tone of the production is aided by the excellent production values, including the marvelous, versatile set by Ann Beyersorfer. The evocative mood lighting by Sean M. Savoie and excellent sound design by Hankyu Lee also add much to the overall atmosphere of the show. Erica Jo Lloyd’s costumes suit the characters well and work well in facilitating the relatively minor changes when Ginn changes characters. Ginn also gets kudos for his music direction, as the piano playing is a key element (pun intended) to the overall frantic atmosphere of this show.

In short, I’ll say that Murder for Two slays ’em in the aisles. If comic murder, intrigue, delightfully over-the-top characters and non-stop laughs are what you’re looking for, you’ll find it at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center under the expert direction of Michael Kostroff. It’s a fun start to a new summer season for STAGES. 

Jeremiah Ginn
Photo by Phillip Hamer
STAGES St. Louis

STAGES St. Louis is presenting Murder For Two at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until June 29, 2025

*ADDENDUM–I managed to see the show again on June 18th, which featured both Ginn and Fairlee, and I can say now that Fairlee is also impressive as Marcus, with a clear, strong voice and terrific piano skills. I also thought there was a bit more of a spark of energy between these two performers, possibly because they will have rehearsed together more. Fairlee comes across as a little sharper with the comic timing as well, but I will reiterate that Corcoran is also excellent, and that no matter who you see in this production, you’re in for a hilarious, entertaining show. I also want to add that I love the audience participation element that’s included late in the show, and that it worked well for both performances I saw.