book and music by Joe Kinosian • book and lyrics by Kellen Blair
directed by David H. Bell

Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare
May 12 – November 27, 2011

Winner of the 2011 Jeff Award for New Musical

“ Infectious new musical could get
belly laughs from a corpse” –Time Out Chicago

Joe Kinosian (The Suspects/Book and Music) makes his Chicago Shakespeare Theater debut. Regional credits include developmental productions of Murder for Two in San Francisco and the Adirondack Theatre Festival. For the past three years, he has served as musical director and performer in the Off Broadway musical Dear Edwina; his combination of acting and piano playing was also featured in the Hangar Theatre's production of Dirty Blonde, with Emily Skinner. Mr. Kinosian's New York credits include: actor in The Hudsucker Proxy (Manhattan Theatre Club) and Beatsville (National Alliance for Musical Theatre); and pianist for the pre-Broadway workshops of The Color Purple. He met Kellen Blair at the BMI Musical Theatre Writers' Workshop, which in its first year honored Mr. Kinosian with the Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement. Mr. Kinosian also writes songs for the New York City-based pop band Amy Lynn and the Gunshow. www.kinosianandblair.com

Adam Overett (Officer Marcus Moscowicz—beginning October 19) makes his Chicago Shakespeare debut. Broadway and national tour credits include Neil Kellerman in Dirty Dancing and understudying Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza. Off Broadway and regional credits include Malcolm in The Full Monty and Marcus in Murder for Two (Adirondack Theatre Festival, 42nd Street Moon). His composer, bookwriter and lyricist credits include: a contributor to the score of We the People: America Rocks! (Lucille Lortel nomination Best Off Broadway Musical); book, music and lyrics for Call It Courage (Zach Theatre, Austin); My Life Is a Musical; the short musicals Habemus Papam, I Don’t Speak Italian and Seeing the Light; and other works. Mr. Overett has studied musical theater writing with Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Adam Guettel, Andrew Lippa and the BMI Musical Theater Workshop (Jerry Harrington Award for Excellence). He is a 2010-2011 Dramatists Guild Fellow and a graduate of Yale University. adamoverett.com

Alan Schmuckler (Officer Marcus Moscowicz—through October 16) returns to Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where his acting credits include: Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Noble Kinsmen, and Much Ado About Nothing. His musical credits at Chicago Shakespeare Theater include The Emperor's New Clothes (music and lyrics; book by David Holstein) and How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back? (book, music and lyrics with Michael Mahler), which both received critically acclaimed world premieres. Other Chicago credits include: Sugar (Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, Jeff Nomination); A Minister's Wife (Writers' Theatre, Jeff nomination); Merrily We Roll Along (The Music Theatre Company); Fiorello! (TimeLine Theatre); Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story (Drury Lane Water Tower Place); Shenandoah and others (The Marriott Theatre); as well as work with Lookingglass Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Provision Theater and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Regional credits include work at Indiana Repertory Theatre and Wagon Wheel Theatre. Mr. Schmuckler is a graduate of Northwestern University and a member of AEA and ASCAP.

Explore Murder for Two—A Killer Musical and learn more about the production.