Reviewed by Matt Ritchey

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie stories, ’60’s Hammer Horror films, Murder By Death, and gloriously goofy live productions run to see Tangerine Sunset which just opened at the Sacred Fools‘ Broadwater Mainstage.

Peter Fluet’s new comedy embraces the tropes of classic suspense mysteries like Ten Little Indians and The Most Dangerous Game.

A collection of people – a movie star (Jahmone Duhaney), his wife (Alli Miller – understudy for this performance), his brother (Fluet), a YouTube influencer (Kristyn Evelyn), and the crew of their chartered plane (Victor Issacs, Ren Harris, Lauren Van Kurin and Erin J. Lann) – crash on an island inhabited by a Dr. No-style uber-villain (Scott Leggett), his eccentric (and somewhat stiff) wife (Heather Schmidt), and his RiffRaff-ian assistant/slave (Michael Shaw Fisher). Obviously, the uber-villain has an uber-villainous plan and as the survivors of the crash are hosted in the creepy estate/hotel Tangerine Sunset, they are completely unaware that nefarious things lurk beneath, behind, and in the walls around them…

Leggett, Schmidt, and Fisher are perfect as the villainous threesome, playing a wonderful balance of nefariousness and absurdism. Schmidt’s physicality is hysterically impressive, and Fisher’s specificity and commitment is a joy to watch. Leggett’s work is always funny, but his scene hobnobbing with the guests at an impromptu cocktail party is particularly howl-inducing.

The rest of the cast is equally good, Duhaney turning in a funny, grounded, and all-too-realistic portrayal of a self-obsessed actor; Evelyn nailing the pop-culture Influencer stereotype; both Isaacs-and-Harris and Van Kurin-and-Lann playing beautifully off of each other in old-time comedy team style; Fluet plays the perfect funny straight man in a cast of unhinged characters; and understudy Miller sticks the landing with a sharp, hysterical performance.

While Tangerine Sunset has a few moments that linger too long, the show features well-crafted witty writing, crisp and funny direction by JJ Mayes, a truly impressive set by Pete Hickok, remarkable costume design by Linda Muggeridge, and is well worth crashing into Sacred Fools for an evening of comedy and pulp intrigue.

Cast:
Jahmone Duhaney as Mark Timmons
Anahi Bustillos as Lydia Timmons
Peter Fluet as Jacob Timmons
Erin J. Lann as CC
Lauren Van Kurin as Brenda
Kristyn Evelyn as Sienna Lordess
Victor Isaac as Shep Halpert
Ren Harris as Connie Halpert
Scott Leggett as Casper Lenz
Heather Schmidt as Moira Lenz
Michael Shaw Fisher as Dawniel
Dave Theune as Dave Tooney

Recommended

Photo (above) by Matt Kamimura: (L to R) Michael Shaw Fisher, Heather Schmidt and Scott Leggett

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