The comedy Murder at the Howard Johnson's pokes fun at marital woes and murder plans gone awry.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published May 16, 2003
As the hot summer bears down on Florida's west coast, the Angel Cabaret Theatre is coming up with a light and airy comedy, Murder at the Howard Johnson's.
A murder comedy?
Sure, if it's mixed with middle-aged romance, titillating talk and nobody gets hurt - unless you count bruised egos.
Murder at the Howard Johnson's takes place in a nondescript motel room over the course of a year. Arlene Miller (Darlene Cahill), a bored housewife, has launched a love affair with her dentist, the egotistical Mitchell Lovell (Gene Kachurak).
"I'm a dentist, Arlene," Mitchell tells Arlene during their clandestine motel tryst. "You know I can have any woman I want."
Arlene is convinced her nebbish husband, Paul (George Cahill III), won't giver her a divorce because he is so crazy for her, so she convinces Mitchell to help her murder him.
Six months later, and back at the Howard Johnson's, Arlene is fuming at Mitchell and plotting with Paul to murder her lover.
Six months after that, and once more, back at the Howard Johnson's with Arlene, Paul and Mitchell, the plot thickens even more.
Murder at the Howard Johnson's had a very short run on Broadway, 14 performances, including 10 previews. It's gone on to be a favorite of community and college theaters. Reviewers have described it as "a physical festival of one-liners" and a "madcap comedy."
Ms. Cahill will be familiar to Home Shopping Network viewers, where she has been an on-air guest demonstrator for more than 75 products during the past six years. She performed at Angel Cabaret owner Jimmy Ferraro's erstwhile Angel "garden cafe" Theatre as part of a family act, Invisible Inc. and has done everything from singing telegrams to ballroom dance instructing and appearing in feature films.
Her co-star in Invisible Inc. and in this show is Ms. Cahill's real-life husband, George Cahill III. He was seen last season as one of the Constanzuela brothers in The Odd Couple, Female Version at the Angel, and before that, in three different roles in You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running.
Rounding out the cast is Kachurak, who played a Constanzuela brother in Ferraro's first production of The Odd Couple, Female Version, at the Angel "garden cafe" Theatre in 1997 and has performed at other venues before and after that.
At a glance
WHAT: Murder at the Howard Johnson's
WHERE: Angel Cabaret Theatre, 5201 U.S. 19, New Port Richey
WHEN: May 23-June 22. Shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays. Doors open two hours before each show for buffet and cash wine and beer bar.
TICKETS: Dinner and show, $34.50; show only, $21.95. Ages 12 and younger, $22.50 and $16.95, all plus tax and tip. Call (727) 847-0019.
