‘Shear Madness’ stays fresh and keeps laughs coming at Florida Studio Theatre
You might want to consider arriving a little early for a performance of “Shear Madness” to help you get in the right frame of mind for this fast-paced, often clever, generally silly murder mystery comedy, which has returned to Florida Studio Theatre after more than a decade.
During the pre-show, you can get a taste for the broadly drawn characters as they prepare clients for services at the Shear Madness salon on Palm Avenue in Sarasota, where a shampoo requires a whole bottle of soap squirted from a long distance (for dramatic and comedic effect), or a shave looks more like a clown act. And you can just tell this there is going to be a lot of gossip shared.
It’s all done silently to a lively soundtrack of old pop hits intended to make you feel a little bounce in your seat, while providing a perfect prelude for the antics to come when everyone in the salon becomes a suspect in the murder of an aging pianist who lived upstairs.
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And you help decide whodunnit, with the assistance of detective Nick O’Brien (Gil Brady) and his associate Mikey Thomas (Shaun Memmel), who task the audience with finding clues and evidence, before asking the audience to vote on the culprit.
That’s part of what has helped “Shear Madness” become an enduring hit. It ran for 40 years in Boston (before COVID forced it to close) and has played since 1987 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
In addition to the mystery, director and co-author Bruce Jordan and his cast (many veterans of previous productions) keep the show fresh by constantly introducing new jokes. At Friday’s opening night, there was a dig at President Biden tripping over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy graduation, which happened only days earlier. As a reference to how old the dead pianist was, we’re told she used to babysit for 89-year-old California Sen. Diane Feinstein. And if you’re thinking about writing a book, someone says to think twice because it might not get published in Florida.
The jokes are generally less politically oriented than those samples suggest, and some work better than others, but the cast and crew are clearly keeping up with the news to emphasize that everything is happening today (though you may have to wonder why the salon still uses a rotary phone).
It’s all part of the outrageousness deployed by Jordan, who, along with Marilyn Abrams, adapted “Shear Madness” from a more serious German play by Paul Portner.
Nothing is subtle. When salon owner Tony Whitcomb (played by Jordan Ahnquist) wants to flirt, there’s never a question about his intentions. The same is true of his colleague Barbara DeMarco (Gina Milo), who teasingly shampoos a man’s hair while pressing his face into her bosom.
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Tony and Barbara are two of the suspects, along with their longtime client, society matron Mrs. Shubert (Lisa McMillan), and antiques dealer Eddie Lawrence (Luis E. Rivera). Each of them helps the audience along by overemphasizing some of their actions and trying to more discretely hide others.
In the first act, we watch the story unfold twice, first as it happened and second as audience members interrupt to ask questions or correct mistakes or omissions by the characters, usually intentionally to brush off suspicion.
Brady adapts well to the questions shouted out by audience members. Even when some challenge his perspective, he keeps cool while maintaining control. McMillan, who starred in the last FST run, is once again a delight as the gossipy and snotty Mrs. Shubert, who has some secrets she’d like to keep quiet. Rivera is the quietest and most mysterious character, particularly when paired with both Ahnquist and Milo, who show no fear of playing up or against stereotypes and expectations.
Once a vote is taken, the cast resolves the mystery, with a more serious tone than you might expect. The reasoning doesn’t always make sense or create a compelling explanation, but it wraps up an evening that has provided plenty of laughs and surprises.
‘Shear Madness’
Adapted by Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan from a play by Paul Portner. Directed by Bruce Jordan. Reviewed June 2 at Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota. Through June 25. Tickets are $29-$49. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: ‘Shear Madness’ cast delivers fun and surprises in new FST production
