Pines Dinner Theatre of Allentown latest original comedy murder mystery “Mission: Improbable – Super Spy Edition” brings the audience right into the action, which turns out to be the most enjoyable part, of an overall uneven show, running through Match 7.
Feeling a bit like a sketch comedy, the four actors spend most of the show out in the audience interacting with the diners. A lot of the fun comes from the reaction of audience members who are flirted with, questioned and even “murdered” by the actors.
When audience members arrive, they are assigned a character and a sheet with their lines on it. The characters cover a wide range. In our party, I was a member of one character’s fan club and simply had to sing a little ditty along with a number of other people. On the other hand, my son was given the role of an agent and had a number of lines talking to one of the characters.
The play written and directed by Pines Dinner Theatre Artistic Director Oliver Blatt draws on lots of kitsch and nostalgia for the plot which nominally takes place at the International Man of Mystery Super Spy Society convention.
The main conflict is between Gene Connelly’s Ethan Hunt and Jeremy Thompson’s Jim Phelps.
The role of Phelps is a parody of the head of the Impossible Missions Force from the 1966 TV series “Mission Impossible” while the role of Hunt pokes fun at Tom Cruise character who held the same position in the later “Mission: Impossible” films starting in 1996.
Much is made of the generational differences between the two characters with Thompson’s Phelps doddering and confused while Connelly’s Hunt is brash and self-absorbed.
One of the funniest bits is a recurring take on the “Mission: Impossible” TV series’ tape recorder that “self-destructs in five seconds.”
The nominal plot involves Syd Stauffer’s Princess Isabella Monaco, whose jewels are stolen and the thief turns up dead. James Ofalt plays a detective who is from not “The A Team,” but “The AV Team,” complete with an overhead projector and a ridiculously long extension cord as he tries to help the other spies figure out who is the murderer. Audience members also are given the chance to make their own guess on the murderer’s identity.
The show will be most appreciated by those who recognize all the pop culture references from Judge Judy to Dr. Quinn. There is also a humorous quick change that brings in characters from the 1997 film “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” as well as a tribute to Lucille Ball, whose Desilu Productions produced the “Mission: Impossible” TV series.
The show is structured around the meal, with acts interspersed between the salad, entree and dessert courses. Audience can chose between pork loin, chicken Caprese, striped pangasius, fettuccine Alfredo and wild mushroom ravioli. Meals include salad, bread, and family style apple crisp with ice cream.
Beverages, a la carte menu items, and dessert alternatives are available for an additional charge.
Times are 6:30 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. show, Friday and Saturday; 12:30 p.m. dinner, 2 p.m. show Sunday through March 7. Tickets are $52 for adults; $38 for student and $28 for children, ages 2-9.
Pines Dinner Theatre is at 448 N. 17th St., Allentown.
For information call 610-433-2333, or go to pinesdinnertheatre.com.