Toronto’s Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre spoofs pop music icons in their new show Killer Tunes
I have always been curious about Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre. In their current murder mystery, Killer Tunes, characters such as “Celine Dijon” and “Justin Bieberdrake” spoof pop stars past and present in a whodunit romp.
Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre has been around for a while, and they clearly have a concept that is working for them. Audience interaction is the key to the format, and very little of the action happens on stage. The dining room is spacious enough to allow the performers wend their way through the audience, drawing participants into the comedy with a mix of predetermined and spontaneous bits. At one point, our table was asked to stand and accept recognition as the cast of the new “Ghostbusters”. Sadly, we were a bit slow on the uptake, and only one person stood with the right comedic timing.
Guests have the option to arrive for a 3-course prix-fixe dinner at 6:30, or for the show only at 7:30. The meal was well worth it. The food was excellent, and quite frankly I overate – a lot. I advise you to ask for a doggie bag instead, the show lets out at 10:30.
Our server was friendly and approachable, and the kitchen was very accommodating about letting me have the couscous side (that went with the fish) with the very tasty glazed chicken breast. The chicken actually goes with German potato salad, which my dining companion said was also delicious. They also had a nice assortment of custom cocktails named after each of the characters, which was a cute touch. I had a sweet, creamy concoction of Chambord, Frangelico, and Bailey’s, but I can’t remember if this was called “The Donald Chump”, or “The Elvis”.
Those of you who are actually following my reviews may realize that a nonsensical, comedic show spoofing pop culture icons is way outside of my usual reviewer wheelhouse. Recognizing this, I did my best to go into it with an open mind.
Nevertheless, most of the scripted jokes did not land for me. I found the comedic writing unimaginative. As my companion put it “there were an awful lot of penis jokes”. In addition to the fact that the penis jokes were copious, they were also obvious, recycled, and repetitive, with little to do with such plot as was being used to hide clues to the murder mystery.
The scripted humour also relied heavily on that style of comedy where characters have signature “bits” that they return to incessantly, with the joke becoming less funny each time it’s told. The plucky comedic troupe gave the fairly lackluster script a lot of heart, and managed to pull off a passable evening of theatre. The performer playing the role of “Justin Bieberdrake” has a beautiful singing voice, and “Ozzy Osmond’s” Ozzy impression is pretty spot on.
Audience member contributions were the highlight of the show. Most memorable was the charming lady celebrating her 91st birthday, who got drawn into the role of Ozzy’s mom. She demonstrated herself to be a master of comedic timing, and facial expressions. Unless she is some famous comedian I don’t know about, she missed her calling!
Suffice it to say, the style of humour was not to my liking, and I did not pay enough attention to solve the mystery. Many others in the audience appeared to feel differently, and the performers were rewarded with hearty guffaws throughout the show. It pays to pay attention at Mysteriously Yours; those who correctly identify the murderer enter a draw for prizes! The yummy dinner and show are a pretty good package for the price, and the whole experience is a fun night on the town if you are looking to try something new.
Details:
- Killer Tunes is playing until September 9 at Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre, (2026 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON )
- Show times are every Friday evening at 6:30 PM for dinner, or 7:30 PM for the show only
- Ticket prices are $81.00 for dinner+show, 445.20 for show only.
- Tickets are available online, or through the box office at (416) 486-7469