Two minutes into my umpteenth viewing of “Murder Most Fowl,” I wondered again why I keep doing this to myself. At 18 years old, this poultry- themed phenom has grown as stale as rotten eggs. The “topical” jokes are obvious, the acting completely poached.
This chicken ain’t crossing the road no more, folks. It keeled over halfway across. The only one coming out of this clean, I thought, is Alan Dumas as the recorded voice of murdered Robert Poulet – and only because he’s been dead since 1999. (“He’s the only one of us who’s never missed a call,” co-writer Robert Wells has joked – unfortunately, never from the stage).
So why is it that during the second act of this dusty audience-determined whodunit, after the “it” has been “dun” (to death), did I find a smile break out on my face? And when the third act was again turned over to the audience for its impromptu mass interrogation of the “suspects,” why was I betrayed by this undeniable – albeit fleeting – feeling of joviality?
Whodunit? And I don’t mean who killed Poulet – that corpse is older than DNA itself. I mean who made me walk out of the Avenue Theater with a smile on my face?
The credit goes, in part, to original cast members Wells, John Ashton and Pam Clifton, who are so cozy backstage at the fictional Consortium Theatre, they could keep the U.S. Postal Service in business. (Because they could just mail it in … get it? Ah, forget it.)
They don’t, even though they’ve logged nearly 800 performances for 57,000 laugh-
seekers since 1989. That’s when Ashton and Wells penned this half-baked, pun- stuffed mystery about the windbag who’s bagged just before his opening performance of “Macbeth.”
The suspects are swishy stage manager Max Nugget (Wells), ambitious understudy Hammond Eggs (an unconfident Daymond Caylo), malapropistic leading lady Holly Pharme (Clifton), shifty producer Dexter Coop (Ashton) and even interrogating police lieutenant (“Don’t call me Colonel”) Sanders (LuAnn Buckstein).
Together they spin daggers both verbal and real until one, wrapped in a rubber chicken, lands in the leading man’s heart.
New casting helps keep things interesting. Ashton, who has now played all four male parts, pretty much saves the day with his devil-may- care portrayal of Coop. And Buckstein is capable in her thankless task of herding audience comments.
But the credit for “Fowl” remaining fair goes to an audience that in large part stays new to it. They are the wild cards. They say funny things, and they inspire invigorating improvisation from these skilled comedians. Like when a dagger is found kept in the cloak closet, and a patron asks, “So do you also keep cloaks in the dagger closet?” Funny!
Ashton and Wells have added topical scripted punchlines that are more miss than hit. Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Miss USA and John Mark Karr are targets. Coop says he’s going to open a strip bar with James Dobson – it’s called “Focus on the Fanny.” Rim shot? Try buckshot.
It is funny, though, when Wells mistakes Ron Zappolo for Borat. And while the audience cheers for Wells’ Max Nugget as the murderer, it’s funny when Clifton snaps at them, “Oh come on! He’s the only one who would enjoy prison!”
One of Wells’ favorite yarns is about the guy who saw “Murder Most Fowl” and said, “It was more fun than a real play.”
Poulet help me, he’s right.
Destination Dinosaurs
The Avenue’s current children’s offering is a winner for all ages. In “Destination Dinosaurs,” written by and starring Clifton, Professor Higglemeyer and her zany sidekick Igor (Chris Boeckx) travel through time on a secret mission that treats kids to fun and surprising characters (played by Charlie Schmidt) while teaching them a thing or two about one of their favorite subjects (dinos, played by Gary Hathaway).
Despite its seemingly modest approach, this staging offers surprising production values from costumes to lights to video. The kids I saw were all engaged from start to finish.
And “Destination Dinosaurs” was just extended through March 31.
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
“Murder Most Fowl” | ** 1/2 RATING
COMEDY MYSTERY|Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave.|Written by John Ashton and Robert Wells|THROUGH FEB. 24|7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays|1 hour, 40 minutes|$20|303-321-5925 or avenuetheater.com | “Destination Dinosaurs”
CHILDREN’S|Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave.|THROUGH MARCH 31|11 a.m. Saturdays (some weekdays)|1 hour|$7|303-321-5925 or ave nuechildrenstheater.com
