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Campus Martius to dish out murder mystery in Marietta

Photo provided by Christina Graham, director of marketing for the Campus Martius Museum The last murder mystery dinner in March 2016 at Campus Martius Museum featured a mystery based in the unveiling of the “Lickety-Split Diamond.” Jan Rary, left, and Pam Tilton, right, are seen here bargaining with other mystery participants for clues on the Diamond theft. The upcoming theater night will follow the case of a rock star in town for a “killer concert.”

MARIETTA — Pull out the neon, bangles and baggy clothes and get ready for a “totally” 1980s murder mystery dinner at the Campus Martius Museum.

Murder mystery dinners are nothing new to the museum, but for the first time, locals have two nights to choose from in March rather than one.

The Totally ’80s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater will be 6-8:30 p.m. March 10-111 at the Campus Martius Museum. The cost is $60 per person and reservations are required by March 3.

“We’re expecting between 50 and 80 participants at each,” said Christina Graham, the museum’s director of marketing. “It will be the same show both nights but with other events going on that weekend we wanted to give people the option to still make it out.”

Dennis Cavalier, 63, of Fleming, said the date night is one he and his wife Chris are sure to attend.

“You have to bring your humor and it’s fun to figure out who is who and who did what,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve kept any of my clothes from the ’80s so I’ll have to put something together. But I remember big hair, curly hair, lots of neon and shirts with big collars, not that I’ll admit to having worn any of that back then.”

The yearly fundraiser brings back patrons of the museum each year, but is also a time for an out-of-the-box date or a clean comedy night with teens.

“It is a fascinating evening and a lot of fun. You really get into all of the characters and it’s outrageous and hilarious,” said Nancy Hollister, of Marietta, who will attend for the third time this year. “It’s a perfect date night, it’s a good show and teenagers are great in it too. Plus it’s a great fundraiser for the museum and you don’t stop laughing.”

The night of mystery will be led by actors from the Columbus-based Murder Mystery Company after a dinner of carved pork loin, tomato basil stuffed chicken, red skin roasted potatoes, green beans, salad, bread rolls, dessert and a glass of wine.

“The buffet will be catered by the Valley Gem and after the dinner wraps up the theater will begin with people in the crowd playing the parts in three scenes,” said Graham.

The PG-13 show will relay the mysterious case of Poison Ratenstein is centered on Ratenstein’s appearance in town for a “killer concert,” but after the tour turns tragic, fans may look for a refund amidst the mystery.

“Then at the end of the three scenes each table has to describe who did what and how it all happened,” said Graham. “The winner will receive a certificate but so will the biggest loser, the best actor, actress and best dressed.”

Hollister said the artist group that does the performance of the alleged suspects are “very, very good.”

“And they also pick out someone at each table and give them an outrageous name and give them some sort of prop to use,” she explained. “It engages everybody in the room and you all have a particular suspect at your table. Maybe third time’s a charm and this year I’ll actually guess the correct murderer.”

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