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SoCal.com, by Jennifer Fordyce
Dinner Theater Review - "Hollywood Confidential" - After experiencing the whirlwind talent of Killer Entertainment’s seasoned troop of actors in “Hollywood Confidential”, you’ll skip the roses and chocolate all together for next St. Valentine’s Day!

Killer Entertainment gave a phenomenal murder mystery theatre production performance at the Old World German Restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA this past weekend. What is a murder mystery dinner theatre production you might ask? It is much like being at the theatre except that you are seated for dinner with other guests as actors parade from table to table and person to person and you soon discover that the stage is not before you but that you are upon it being woven into the inner workings of a play.
During Killer Entertainment’s “Hollywood Confidential”, you are transported back to the year 1955 at the wrap party of director Alfred Welles’ latest film. But what’s this… someone has been murdered? A Mr. Ricard Von Bülow – actor extraordinaire? As you try your best to catch up on the latest murder (or murders depending on the circumstance), plates of German food ... come your way. Over the course of the next 3 hours, you put clues together as you mingle and dine with fellow guests seated with you at a large round table. At times guests find themselves acting out the part of a Hollywood scarlet or singing old German folk song’s with lyrics such as “Du, du, liegst mir im Herzen” (“You, you, live deep in my heart”) that make you wish you took German in high school just so you can impress your date.
At the heart of “Hollywood Confidential” is a great bunch of actors (Michael McKay, Julia McDowell, Keely Rusk, David Maddox and Philip Lester) giving it their all and to the great delight and laughter of their guests. Killer Entertainment’s troop of talent includes 30-40 actors that improvise and customize their performance to their audience including locations at the Old World German Restaurant in Huntington Beach, the Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort and the Wyndham Hotel Costa Mesa. Current shows include: “Hollywood Confidential”, “Mission Possible”, “The $11 Million Dollar Murder”, “Driven to Kill”, “Stained Glass and Painted Ladies”, “WISH You Were Here – A Tribute to 1940s Radio”, “Resistance is Feudal” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding Reception”. But even if these don’t fit your bill, they can come up with something entirely new!
For reservations and information about upcoming shows, call (714)538-6080 or (888)331-5299. www.KillerEntertainment.com.

Voted TOP 5 DINNER THEATERS in the Los Angeles Area 2009
For the 3rd year in a row!

After winning in 2007 and 2008, Cityvoter fans of MyFoxLA again voted Killer Entertainment "Top 5 Dinner Theater in the Los Angeles Area" for the 2009 HOTLIST.


DIG Magazine, by Jessica Hecht
On Tonight's Menu: Murder. Show review for Hollywood Confidential

Nothing goes better with German beer than murder. Well, that may not be true for everyone, but the murder mystery dinner “Hollywood Confidential” is a close runner up. Killer Entertainment transforms The Old World Restaurant dining hall in Huntington Beach into an old-fashioned murder investigation on Saturday nights. This interactive show will have even the dullest diner determined to piece together clues, find suspects and solve the murder mystery.
It is 1955 and director Alfred Welles, played by Michael J. McKay, is having a wrap party for his film, “The Wraths of Grapes…From Outer Space,” but there won’t be any celebrating because members of the cast and crew have been murdered, including the movie star Ricard Von Buren! Each player has his or her own theory on what could have happened but the real investigator is You.
Many facets make this four-part show go from ordinary to killer entertainment. As each guest is seated, the players go around greeting the tables and dropping little clues and theories about how the victims died. While enjoying a three-course meal, the night continues with singing, crying and laughter from, not only the colorful characters, but the audience as well.
The level of acting was impressive until their comical improv got the best of some players. The occasional crack in composure changed the scene from a gripping performance into a few friends making jokes. However, poise was easily regained and the audience was thrown back into the grasps of witty humor and the mysterious plotline.
This show is not for the back seat viewer. As you uncover new clues, the flirtatious cast involves everyone, even the shyest diner, with their in-your-face humor. However, if you are not the extroverted type don’t fret, because the respectable cast will adapt and customize the show to make each diner’s experience, not only comfortable, but fun and entertaining as well.
Take a seat at the dinner table during this thrilling interactive performance next Saturday and discover this killer entertainment for yourself.


COAST Magazine, by Kris Allen
The Password is Murder

I was in my musty office when I got an anonymous phone call – seems there was killer entertainment every Saturday night at the Terra Nova Restaurant inside the Wyndham Hotel in Costa Mesa. If I wanted to get in, said the caller, I needed the password. The Password is Murder.
The phone went dead. Did they hang up, or did I forget to pay my phone bill? Even more important: Should I call the cops? Nah, I had solved bigger cases without their help.
I drove my jaunty jalopy to the hotel, parked, and found Terra Nova, which had been turned into a speakeasy. I was greeted by Ruby West, the owner, who gave me the once over like she was reading a newspaper but just looking at the pictures.
She sat me at a table, where I met a few of her customers: a shifty-eyed gangster named Dutch Cagney, a not-so-innocent songbird who claimed her name was Pauline Sinclair, and a smarter-than-he-acted hired hand and mechanic with the moniker Gus McFadden.
I started in on what turned out to be a tasty dinner when the foursome started arguing, and the next thing you know, we had a dead body on our hands. I was about to leap up when other diners laughed and applauded, and the waiter brought out our entrees.
Suddenly it dawned on me. This was no ordinary speakeasy. A group called Killer Entertainment was in charge, and the dead body was no accident – it was an essential part of The Password is Murder, an interactive mystery dinner theater with more laughs than a half dozen sitcoms put together.
I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of my meal and the show. The acting, I was glad to see, was excellent, and so was the food, which featured a choice of entrees and desserts.
At the end of the meal, there was an opportunity to guess “who done it,” with the super sleuths winning a prize. I passed and decided to let the amateurs have a go. As far as I was concerned, there was no mystery for me. It was the perfect murder, and Killer Entertainment did it.


Profile in Orange County Business Journal
Killer Entertainment Customized Public & Private Shows “To Die For”

Considered the cream of the comedy crop in interactive entertainment, the company continues to create unique live murder mysteries and outrageous comedy shows throughout Southern California. They provide individuals, companies, conventions, and private parties with limitless customizable entertainment options running the gamut from public shows to corporate events, fully scripted interactive theatrical events to half hour mini-shows, unique deejay services, cruises, and improvisational “atmosphere” entertainment.
For nearly 10 years, according to thousands of glowing reviews, Killer Entertainment has shown a commitment to consistently high quality and hilarious entertainment.
The company does with audience participation theater what accomplished jazz musicians do with music, adapting to and incorporating each audience, location, and performer. Every event, whether it involves a murder mystery or not, uses customization and improvisation by the professional performers to make each event unique. Individuals and small groups can join their public shows. For larger groups, corporate or convention clients and private events, extensive research is done by the Killer staff, and each show is rewritten using “inside information” on the client, frequently culminating in a customized song composed just for that group.
Anyone can enjoy this unique troupe throughout the year. Two long running public shows are available every weekend, great for birthdays, anniversaries, small groups, or just a fun night out. Celebrations are always highlighted in the show’s newspaper, which is recreated for each show.
In it’s 8th smash year in Long Beach, the long running 1880s murder mystery dinner cruise “Alibi Aboard,” which played on a riverboat in Long Beach Harbor as well as the Hyatt and Hilton Hotels, has finally closed. Replacing that show is “Get Smarter-er,” an hilarious 1960s romp through the world of spies and intrigue, playing Friday and Saturday nights (multiple shows/week in December).
In it’s 6th fantastic year, at the Costa Mesa Wyndham Hotel you’ll find gangsters, glamour, and a gourmet meal. Of course, you’ll need a secret password to get in and bootlegged hooch should be easy to buy if you know who to ask. Dine in delight with a few nefarious types at their prohibition era Speakeasy. “The Password is Murder” has public shows Saturday evenings (6 shows/week in December) and private parties are available. This criminal comedy runs indefinitely and has garnered rave notices. It’s an evening not to be missed!
Additional new public mystery dinner shows will be added in 2009.
For private corporate and social entertainment, a large variety of shows are available, including “Mission Possible,” a 1960’s sitcom-style comedy; “The $11 Million Dollar Murder,” a modern day murder mystery; “Hollywood Confidential” set in the 1920s, 40s, or 60s (with a Wine and Golf Dinner version); “Driven to Kill” a car caper in an auto museum, “Stained Glass and Painted Ladies” an engagement party with over 15 endings to choose from; “WISH You Were Here - A Tribute to 1940s Radio,” the medieval “Resistance is Feudal” complete with sword fights; and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding Reception.” If none of these are a perfect fit, they can also write an entirely new customized script for any client.


OC Metro Magazine, by Christopher Trela
KILLER FUN – “The Password is Murder” is Mystery Dinner Theater Done Right.

The unique art form known as mystery dinner theater has been around for many years, with more than a dozen of these dining troupes dishing out their own form of the gastronomic genre in Orange county over the past decade.
Two essential elements that many of these productions forget to include: good food and good fun. After all, if you’re paying upwards of $50 to dine with a roomful of strangers while you experience an interactive mystery play, what’s wrong with expecting a decent mean and a decent show?
Killer Entertainment has used the right ingredients for “The Password is Murder,” a deliciously funny mystery dinner show that takes place every Saturday night in the Terra Nova Restaurant at the Wyndham Hotel in Costa Mesa across the street from the Performing Arts Center. Not only is the food tasty and appealingly presented, but the show is one of the funniest mystery dinner theater productions in town.
For the “The Password is Murder,” the Terra Nova Restaurant serves as a prohibition-era speakeasy, complete with a quartet of colorful characters: blonde bombshell owner Ruby West, gangster Dutch Cagney, not-so-innocent songbird Pauline Sinclair, and the hired hand/mechanic Gus McFadden, played on the night reviewed by expert actors Julia McDowell (Ruby), Robert Vestal (Dutch), Lina Hayek (Pauline), and Dale Jones (Gus).
The slim storyline (someone is murdered, everyone else had a motive, so who did it) is merely an excuse for the actors to gleefully interact with the audience, which on this particular night provided plenty of ammunition for a volley of improvisational hijinks that included hysterical asides, witty banter, considerable clowning, and a plethora of good puns.
The actors knew and incorporated the names of the audience, an impressive feat and one that made the experience all the more intimate. In fact, an issue of a fake Costa Mesa Crier newspaper plaed at each tableincluded finctional articles with the names of all the guests, yet another fun touch.
In addition to the terrific acting, “The Password is Murder” features a fine meal. There’s an opportunity for the audience members to guess “who done it” at the end of the evening, with the super sleuths winning a prize. But the mystery is almost beside the point: The fun is not in the ending, it’s in the journey, and “The Password is Murder” offers a well-acted and very funny joyride from beginning to end.
Can’t get enough Killer Entertainment? They also produce “Alibi Aboard: A Showboat Mystery,” performed on an authentic riverboat cruising Long Beach Harbor.


Los Angeles Times Calendar, by Geoff Boucher
INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER – Riverboat Mystery

In Shoreline Village, just down the dock from the Long Beach Aquarium and Bubba Gump Shrimp, I found fishnet of an unexpected sort. “I need to stretch,” the French chorus girl said as she perched her ankle on my shoulder.
Welcome aboard indeed. I was capping my day with a Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise. In one of their ads, the delicately named Killer Entertainment Productions sums up the affair a as “three hour tour, four course meal, multiple murders,” and I must admit I wasn’t sure that sounded like it would add up to my definition of fun. Turns out it was fun and funny. The troupe members don’t take themselves too seriously, and they mercifully let audience members off the hook if they don’t want to be part of the show. The food was even good. And I was even among the folks who solved the mystery.


Orange County Register (Northern Lights), by Chris Creson
KNOCKING 'EM DEAD - Interactive dinner show in Orange County gives new meaning to Killer Entertainment

I won't keep you in suspense. I had great fun with the play and enjoyed the best meal I've had in some time. Each Thursday, PJ's Abbey is the setting for Killer Entertainment, the show's producer, to perform an interactive comedy written for this venue.
The Mead family lovingly restored the Abbey, a converted 1890s era Victorian church. Featuring beautiful stained-glass windows and attractive antiques, PJ's Abbey is well-known as a great place to eat. Gary Mead, Sr. handled the conversion, Gary Mead, Jr. manages the restaurant, and mother Peggy Mead gets up at five each morning to bake the mouth-watering desserts. It's a very special place that is now just a bit more magical.
The time is 1919 and the audience arrives as guests of local saloonkeeper/politician Grover Claypool. The event: an engagement party for his mail-order bride, who will arrive shortly on the train. For the first half-hour we enjoy hors d'oeuvres.
"Stained Glass and Painted Ladies" is about two thirds scripted and one-third improvisation. During the reception, the characters introduce themselves and write the rest of the script in their heads. As we enjoyed our meals - four courses that included a selection of filet mignon, salmon, chicken Florentine or grilled vegetables as the entree - the cast worked its spell on the 50 honored guests. The three founders of Killer Entertainment - Michael J. McKay, Julia McDowell, and Mignonne Profant - make every effort to ensure everything is perfect. They write, act, sing, dance and more. The entire cast is professional, with extensive credits on stage, screen, and television.
McKay plays dual roles as a German preacher, Werner Klugmeier, and a slick-talking rube con man, Earnest Glibb. McDowell as Penelope B. Sweete, may or may not be what she seems. And Profant is a sort of Nelly Bly-type as the local newspaper editor. Veteran actor Dale Jones was delicious as the pompous pol. Ricardo Montoya, the suave Orange County land baron, was played with enthusiasm by Robert Vestal. And stage manager Craig Ouelette was memorable as Clyde, the hired hand. The play was playful, the actors skillful. The audience was included: "We're going to sing this song only because Chris wants to." I was surprised. Others were hugged, mugged, and tugged. The skill was knowing who would love to be involved and who would rather remain a spectator. Finally, the audience gets to vote on how the play will turn out. It was a blast.
Reservations are a must for "Stained Glass and Painted Ladies." It's always nice to leave the theatre with a good taste in your mouth. At PJ's Abbey this was literally the case, as we chose between incredible raspberry cheesecake and the "black hole of chocolate" also in cake form. The night was a fun frolic full of inside Orange County references, audience singalongs, and the best filet mignon I've ever eaten. This is definitely a case of having your cake and eating it too. To quote the Terminator: "I'll be back."


OC Metro Magazine, by Chris Trela
DINNER THEATER TREAT – PJ’s Abbey Restaurant in Orange Hosts a Unique New Show

Dinner theatre has indeed garnered a bad rap over the years, but times are changing and so is the concept of dinner theatre. Traditional dinner theatre venues have faded away ... their replacement: interactive mystery-comedy dinner shows. They're fun, original, and since most are held at established restaurants, the cuisine is usually very tasty.
Around 20 years ago the wildly popular interactive play "Tamara" in which the audience followed actors from room to room of a Hollywood mansion in between bites of dinner and dessert, proved that audiences were looking for a new dinner theatre experience.
Now along comes another dinner theatre troupe with their own twist: Killer Entertainment. Based in Newport Beach, this company was formed by three mystery theatre veterans (Mignonne Profant, Michael J. McKay, and Julia McDowell) with the idea of trying something different. They have succeeded with the show, "Stained Glass and Painted Ladies," offered every Thursday at PJs Abbey, a classy restaurant housed inside a converted 1890 Victorian church that still has its original stained glass windows intact.
Set at a fictitious engagement party in 1919, "Stained Glass and Painted Ladies" incorporates the history of Orange County, and the world, into the storyline of the show, which involves the engagement party of saloon owner Grover Claypool and his mail-order bride. Will the railroad get her to the church on time? Will Grover win his bid for mayor now that prohibition is forcing him out of a job? Or will he fall for the editor of the local paper – if the wealthy rancher doesn’t nab her first (unless he goes for the prim ex-chnteuse Penelope Sweete). Observing the action is the audience, who in essence become partygoers and watch the play unfold around them as they dine.
"Stained Glass and Painted Ladies" is a dinner theatre novelty, and a welcome one. The acting is convincing, yet tongue-in-cheek, the plot believable yet still wacky, and the incorporation of local lore and historical facts adds to the overall enjoyment. You can't ask for a better venue than PJ's Abbey, and the cuisine served upholds the restaurant's reputation.
Just be prepared to laugh a lot and join in singing a handful of old songs (with a booklet of lyrics provided at each table for those who forgot the words to "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" or "Daisy.) "Stained Glass and Painted Ladies" is just one of several interactive plays that Killer Entertainment does on a regular basis for private parties and corporate functions ... if they are as enjoyable as the one at PJs Abbey, Orange county is in for some truly killer entertainment.


Profile in Los Angeles Times
"The play, set during an engagement party in 1919, first takes guests to an hors d'oeuvre reception. There, visitors will meet the townsfolk, such as a suffragette and a saloon owner.
In addition to the hors d'oeuvres and salad, guests have a choice of entree: filet mignon medallions, salmon with lemon caper sauce, chicken artichoke Florentine, or grilled marinated vegetables.
PJ's Abbey is a renovated 110-year old former church which has its original stained glass windows. Converted to a restaurant, the structure is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The script for "Stained Glass and Painted Ladies" was written by the founders of Killer Entertainment, Julia McDowell, Michael J. McKay, and Mignonne Profant at the request of the Mead family, owners of the restaurant.
The actors present the comedy around the dining tables. The actors, gifted in improvisation, chat with guests between and during scripted portions of the show. While guests are never pressured to participate, many enjoy taking part, in particular in the sing-alongs presented.


Stage Beat, L.A. Times
"Michael J. McKay . . .performs with virtuosic skill."


Darel Hale, Los Angeles Critic
"Appearing on the same bill we have the divine Miss Julia McDowell. Her tranquil tones and soothing soprano charm all. . . . She has brought new meaning to the art of the ballad."
"A consummate pro in the interactive theater genre, [Mignonne] Profant enhances the evening's enjoyment with her Femme Fatale mannerisms and her torchy songs."
"(Julia McDowell) is working the room like a seasoned Vegas comic. She stops at each table long enough to rattle off a few wisecracks and appropriate some food and drink. She's good at both."


Peggy Blizzard, Irvine World News
"Profant is very good as the sultry [chanteuse], giving the role an earnest sincerity."


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