Keyhole group serves Western Mystery Jim Dyar D.A.T.E. editor The Keyhole cast includes (clockwise from bottom left) Toni Fowler, David McCormick, Matt Peebles, Bill Collins, Lisa Collins and Russell Piette. March 27, 2003 — 1:05 p.m. Songs, theater, comedy, improvisation, mystery, dinner, prizes — Keyhole Mystery Theater provides a lot of entertainment in one evening. The group's third production in Redding, "The Treasure of the Sierra Padre," opens at 7 p.m. April 5 at C.R. Gibbs American Grill. Previous settings have included a winery and 1920s speakeasy. This time it's an Old West saloon where hostess Clementine (Lisa Collins) will greet guests and invite folks to kick back and indulge themselves in the evening. Held in the downstairs banquet room at the Hilltop Drive restaurant, the shows have consistently sold out. Many audience members dress up and are encouraged to become a limited part of the action. Tickets are $49.50 per person (includes four-course dinner, show tax and tip). Call 224-0953 for reservations. Clementine's saloon will play host to an eclectic assortment of characters/suspects, including Polecat Pete (Bill Collins), a gunslinger whose aim is less than spectacular; Sierra Padre (Russell Piette), who recently discovered gold; Marshall Monty Hall (David McCormick), who's trying to keep the peace; One-eyed Jack (Matt Peebles) a piano player/telegraph operator; Catastrophe Jane (Samantha Fork), a saloon girl; and Rosa Lee (Toni Fowler) a gypsy. The Marshall wants to track down a con artist called the Boston Tangler and it isn't long before a murder occurs. Between watching the show and consuming entree choices of New York steak or Fried Chicken, visitors are asked to try to guess the culprit. The show will continue on April 19, May 9, 24, June 14 and 28. One of dozens of original scripts written by Bill and Lisa Collins, "The Treasure of the Sierra Padre" makes use of history in the way it unfolds, says Bill Collins. D.A.T.E. editor Jim Dyar can be reached at 225-8227 or jdyar@redding.com. Thursday, March 27, 2003 The main course is . . . murder Company serves up mystery during dinner Jim Dyar D.A.T.E. editor FOUL PLAY?: Russell Piette and Lisa Collins are two of the players in the Keyhole Mystery Theater cast. SUSPICIOUS CAST: The company's main suspects include (from left) David McCormick, Tammy Jones, Bill Collins, pianist Mark Amacker, Russell Piette, Dean Williams and Lisa Collins. September 26, 2002 — 10:27 a.m. The piercing laugh at a nearby table interrupted the conversation Bill Collins was having with a new acquaintance over coffee. "Did that flatten out the crow's feet around my eyes?" Collins asked, whimsically. Collins, 62, is no stranger to loud laughs. Most of the time they're the result of something he's said or done. A longtime musician and advertising jingle writer, Collins and his wife Lisa have spent the past nine years producing murder mystery dinner shows with a comical twist. In a flash, Collins can morph into such farcical characters as a "Rawhide" cowboy, a Father Guido Sarducci-sounding Italian winemaker, a mobster or a gruff Irishman. "I can usually find something to make people laugh," said Collins, a Redding resident. The recent transplant from Petaluma will have plenty of opportunities on Oct. 5 and 19 at C.R. Gibbs restaurant in Redding. Bill and Lisa Collins will join a cast of north state actors in presenting a dinner theater show called "Dead to the Last Drop." It's one of 17 original murder mysteries the couple has written since 1993. While Collins' name may not sound familiar, there's a good chance you've heard his voice. He sang the original McDonald's jingle "two all beef patties, special sauce . . . on a sesame seed bun." He also sang on well-known C&H Sugar and Levi's commercials which aired for decades during his long stint of doing radio and TV spots. After seeing a murder mystery theater performance in Sacramento in the early '90s, the couple discovered an idea for a profession which has lasted for nearly a decade. The couple's Keyhole Mystery Theater company has produced more than 280 shows, worked with more than 65 actors and entertained thousands in both public and corporate settings. Santa Rosa Press Democrat theater critic Chris Garcia called the shows "high-octane musical comedy." "Throw in dinner and a dollop of intrigue and you have top-drawer interactive dinner theater with heaps of ultra-sweet inanity for dessert," Garcia wrote. The show's $45 ticket includes dinner and dessert at C.R. Gibbs. Reservations are required. Call 224-0953. As the evening progresses, audience members are given clues and asked to solve the mystery. Collins and his cast interweave a general storyline with improvisational elements. The audience sometimes plays a part in the action. It presents a number of challenges not found in traditional theater, Collins said. The players must move between tables, handle the interaction of audience members and overcome the constant interplay of dinner being served. "One of our actors, Joe Peer, called it kamikaze theater," Collins said. "In traditional theater you get your energy from the audience. In this format, you sometimes compete with the audience. You get done with the play and you're pretty drained." Joining Bill and Lisa Collins are Redding Improv veterans Russell Piette and David McCormick and area actors Dean Williams and Tammy Jones. The show includes nine songs and "a number of fatalities . . . theatrically staged fatalities, that is," Collins added. He said the audience should have all the information they need to dissect the crime by the end of the evening. "If you're alert you can find the clues," he said. D.A.T.E. editor Jim Dyar can be reached at 225-8227 or jdyar@redding.com. Thursday, September 26, 2002 "Throw in dinner and a dollop of intrigue and you have top-drawer interactive dinner theater, with heaps of ultra-sweet insanity for dessert. The Keyhole Mystery Theater stats: 14 original murder mysteries produced, 275 performances 42 actors and actresses 1,400 songs sung Thousands of happy patrons. Catch a performance." Chris Garcia, S.R. Press Democrat Guest Comments "Keyhole Mystery Theater, thank you so much for making our holiday party a blast! It was above and beyond what I had expected. It was wonderful to see everyone leave with a smile on their face. Regards, Jaime Nau @ ConTech, Inc." P.S. We hope to see you all again next year! "THE BEST murder mystery I've ever seen!" Dr. Irving. Steinberg, Los Angeles "A great company party! See ya again, soon!" Hewlett Packard, Santa Rosa "Best turnout for ANY event we've ever had!" Abbott Labs, Larkspur "Terrific. Fantastic. Gorgeous singing!" C. Vargo, San Rafael "Great FUND RAISER! Bravo!" Shine, San Anselmo "Enjoyed the audience participation...." Stevens, Santa Rosa "You guys are FUNNY! Hahaha..." Latham, Petaluma "I like the ESCAPE into another world..." Sullivan, San Francisco "MY 40th BIRTHDAY PARTY, SO-O-O FUN" Syfers, Sebastopol "Clever show, acting, and singing too!" Moskowitz, Piedmont "We loved dressing up in costume!" Miller, Santa Rosa On Q Best Bets ! Santa Rosa Press Democrat Unsolicitated Review 1998-9 Founder-impressarios, Lisa & Bill Collins have informed us that after years of bawdy costume capers, ear-curdling puns, over-the-top tunes and vaudevillian histrionics, the plucky and hugely entertaining Keyhole Mystery Theater will be performing (only) for private parties and corporate events . The professional troupe has performed it's high-octane musical melodramas and the stage shenanigans, at several restaurants around the North Bay (Northern California). Throw in dinner and a dollop of intrigue and you have top-drawer interactive dinner theater, with heaps of ultra-sweet inanity for dessert. The Keyhole Mystery Theater stats: 14 original murder mysteries produced, 275 performances 42 actors and actresses 1,400 songs sung Thousands of happy patrons. Catch a performance. Chris Garcia, S.R. Press Democrat