Mystery Dinner Playhouse celebrates 15 years

[Ed_Palmedo]

September 10, 2007 - For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Daab at 649-2583 or info@mysterydinner.com

 

MYSTERY DINNER PLAYHOUSE CELEBRATES IT'S 15TH ANNIVERSARY

 

On September 5, 1993, Jim & Laura Daab rolled into Richmond from Minneapolis

to start Mystery Dinner Playhouse. Fifteen years later, the theatre is going

strong with locations in Richmond, Williamsburg and Virginia Beach and

Arlington, VA.

 

"We're thrilled with the success and longevity we've achieved." says Jim

Daab, who co-owns & operates MDP with his wife, Laura. "A lot of hard work,

blind faith and luck went into building the business to where it is today.

And we're pleasantly surprised that it's turned out so well, especially

adding the other locations." The Daabs opened the Williamsburg location in

1997, and Virginia Beach the next year, and the D.C. area location in 2005.

 

"Our Richmond shows are busy in the winter months, running at 80% capacity

year round, and the Williamsburg and Virginia Beach shows run at 90-95%

capacity in the summers and 80% capacity in the winter months." Daab adds.

"We never really have a slow time, except in January for all locations."

Mystery Dinner Playhouse is Richmond's only commercial theatre with shows

running every Friday & Saturday nights year round. The DC location keeps the

same schedule while the other two locations run 6 nights a week in the

summer and three nights a week in the winter. Seating capacity for each

location is around 100.

 

Each location employs a cast of 6 or 7 actors - all hired locally through

auditions. "About six months after we opened Williamsburg, we decided to

move our office out of our home, and hire some help for the office and to

run the shows." says Laura. "For the first six years, we did everything

- answered the phones, did the bookwork, ran the shows, wrote the shows,

made the costumes & props - and sometimes even acted in the productions. We

really needed to get a life!"

 

"The most common question people ask us is why did we move to Richmond?" Jim

says. "There's a lot of reasons, but basically we knew it was a good market

for our product, and a lot warmer that Minneapolis!"

 

"We like to think that our success stems from putting out a good product and

knowing how to market it. We're hoping to expand again soon in another

state." he adds. Daab writes all of the mystery scripts with 34 currently

in his catalog. "Richmond is our incubator where we debut and tweak the

shows."

 

Mystery Dinner Playhouse will open their 15th season on October 19th with

'Who Killed the Boss?' a holiday office party murder mystery and will run

through February 16, 2008. "Since we book so many office parties over the

holidays, it seemed like the perfect show idea." says Laura. "We think this

will be very popular with our audience." Holiday shows at the other

locations are: Williamsburg, "Murder at the Class Reunion" Sept. 21, 2007 -

March 22, 2008; Virginia Beach, "Frankly Scarlett, You're Dead" Nov. 16,

2007 - April 19, 2008; and Arlington, "Murder Rides Again!" Oct. 26, 2007 -

May 3, 2008.

 

Mystery Dinner Playhouse performs weekly comedy murder mystery dinner shows.

Audience members try to solve the mystery while enjoying a delicious four

course dinner. The dinner is served by a zany cast of characters who all

the while are providing clues to help audience members solve the crime.

Patrons are given a clue dossier, and bribe money to entice the characters

to give them better clues. A "Super Sleuth" prize is awarded for correctly

solving the murder. For more information or to make reservations, call

888-471-4802 or visit www.mysterydinner.com