We recently had dinner and took in the show at the Adams Mystery Playhouse in Denver, CO (2406 Federal Blvd). The tickets to the show were a birthday present for Crystal, and we ended up going with a group of 6 people. Tickets were $39 per person (including our add-on group members). The show we attended was “Murder at an Irish Wake,” and the entire experience was fun. The ‘theater’ is actually a converted house, which according to the staff at the show, used to be a mortuary. The way they have the place setup is actually pretty cool; before the show starts the audience is brought into a parlor/waiting area with a cash bar, and anyone interested is given a scavenger hunt to complete while they wait. The scavenger hunt is simple, but it kept us entertained before we were seated.

During the pre-show mingling time, the cast of the show is also interacting and talking with the audience. I personally talked to ‘the priest’ - gave a confession, and had fun chatting with him for a few minutes. Crystal was given an audience role, as were a handful of other audience members, to encourage audience interaction. A pretty large area of the house was converted into a dining room with a small stage. Once we were allowed into the dining room to take a seat, the staff started bringing one table at a time over to go through the buffet of catered food, while they sang a few Irish and Scottish songs, and kept everyone entertained.

The catered dinner choices were actually more limited than I imagined they would be, but were decent quality. We had salad, fruit trays, rice pilaf, baked chicken, and bread to choose from. I took some of everything, and although basic, it was satisfying. I had been expecting at least two choices of dinner entrees, and I was somewhat disappointed to only find chicken. The rice was very tasty. On the tables were pitchers of lemonade and water, and alcoholic drinks and sodas were available for purchase at the cash bar in the parlor. For desert we were offered coffee along with brownies and pirouline type cookies on trays.

The show lasted from about 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, and was very funny and entertaining. The entire cast was good, and had excellent comedic timing as well as commitment to their roles. The plot of the “murder mystery” was actually surprisingly complex, and all of the audience involvement helped get people in the mood for solving the crime. The Irish theme of the show was fun, and fit well with the recency of St. Patrick’s Day. At the end of the show we were all asked to form our tables into teams and decide which of the characters was the culprit. The entire experience was fun, and there was a mood of relaxed humor throughout the night.

I enjoyed the entire production, and I was satisfied, if not impressed with dinner. I enjoyed the effort and commitment that many of the cast put into their roles, and I would definitely be interested in seeing what other shows they come up with in the future. I am not sure if I would be willing to pay $39 per person on a regular basis to enjoy these shows, but I can see it being a fun outing every few months. If you are looking for a unique way to spend a fun evening in Denver, I would recommend checking out what’s playing at the Adams Mystery Playhouse.

Adams Mystery Playhouse (Denver, CO): 4/5

Have you ever been to a dinner theater?

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