Stage Write

Beef & Boards has toned down the razzle dazzle in this year’s Christmas show. The quieter production is hugely improved by sweet Christmas carols and a heavy reliance on the talented Holidaires instead of flying reindeer or goofy elves. The quartet is made up of three Smoke on the Mountain veterans and Jillian Wallach, a new addition to B&B. Jayson Elliott, Sarah Hund and John Vessels have proved their talent in a dozen shows over the past couple years and this performance is no exception. The production is at its best when it allows its performers to relax into roles they excel at. Vessels has a wonderful voice and a unique ability to pull off the silliest bits. He never fails to delight audiences. Elliott and Hund, in addition to being able to sing, can each play multiple instruments. Their talent is showcased wonderfully as they playfully duel on banjoes, fiddles, guitars and harmonicas. Each of the singers held their own, but newcomer Wallach shone the brightest. She took t

Raise your hand if you knew the nation’s longest running Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre was located in Indianapolis. I had no idea. The dinner theater performs everywhere from restaurants to audience members’ homes to company functions, but they can be seen regularly at the Milano Inn in Indianapolis. The current production, All Star Homer-cide, tells the story of an All Star baseball game and the unexpected murder that throws the night into chaos. The show has four acts; each one is separated by a course of food, soup, salad and Italian entrée and dessert. The show changes each month, but the audience participation and dinner remain the same. Jennifer Estes and Phillip Armstrong star as a variety of characters. The enthusiastic performers throw themselves into the show, taking on multiple roles, crazy costumes and more. Their cheesy jokes and playful banter keep the audience involved. This would be the perfect night out for that friend or family member who loves to be a ham. Audience m

The Indianapolis Civic Theatre has officially moved into its new home in the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The theatre, previously located on Marian College’s campus, is now I n a beautiful new venue, complete with a free parking garage whose elevator drops you right in the lobby. The theatre itself has spacious seating and high ceilings. The 2011/2012 season includes Amadeus, on stage now. The play won a Tony Award and was then adapted into a movie which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The story, a mix of fact and fiction, examines the themes of genius and mediocrity. Two composers in 18th century Austria vie for the emperors’ approval and public’s eye. The first is an upright Italian man named Antonio Salieri. The second is a child prodigy, now at the height of his creativity, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart is as childish and crass as he is brilliant. His immaturity and cockiness grate on the nerves of many in the Austrian court, but no one more than fellow comp