Jim,

Great show last night!  Therese had a wonderful time and the cast was great.  Our whole group was up and dancing and really into it, so I’m glad it all worked out.

P.S.  We seem to have forgotten our mug that Therese “won” at the end by guessing the culprit.  Is there any way you could send us a replacement?  She’s bummed to have lost that memento of the evening.  It’s …. if you can.  Thanks!

Jim G.

Kristine E., Washington DC

Wonderful!  Brought Girl Scout Troop – great entertainment for all ages.

Patti E., Wilmington NC

Fantastic.  This was my first, hope it’s just the beginning.

Phyllis H., District Heights, MD

Thank-you for providing a great night out.

Qiana J., Arlington, VA

Last visit was ’07 – this event was better.

Allen S., Quantico, VA

We really enjoyed the whole evening as food, service and show were great!

Sean U., Gettysburg, PA

My 1^st & great fellowship with table people.

Carlos and Rudy S., Tangion, VA

I love how nice all the actors were!  I also like how the killer only wanted to kill one person and all the rest were accidents.

Jenny M., Aunton MD

Very funny!! Salmon was a good entrée.  Thanks for a fun night!!

Margaret A., Annapolis, MD

We will be back!  Wonderful tongue in cheek…

Michael M., Fredericksburg, VA

Really enjoyed the evening. Will be back for next show.

Veronica M., Chevy Chase, MD

Thank-you.  It was a very enjoyable night out with my neice.

Kimberly B., Sliver Spring, MD

Very innovative!  Better than a movie!

Maggie D., Lothian, MD

Excellent, been to several all over the world.  You are so talented.

Peter M., Chevy Chase, MD

This was a great way to celebrate my daughter’s sweet 16!

Beth S., Dunn Loring, VA

Freaking awesome!

Terrence C., Washington DC

Was better than expected, food was decent, acting decent.  I’d come back.

Jesse W., Washington DC

Fun before hurricane and after earthquake!

C. Johnson, Ganesville, VA

Thanks you!  I can’t wait till my next murder mystery.  This was a great b-day present.

Kayla F., Ridgely, MD

Very nice improvisations, I enjoyed the show much more when it strayed from the script.  Not because the script was bad!  It was funny though.

Zachary B., Hyattsville, MD

Good job guys. I had a good time, keep it up!

Joshua P., Storrs CT

It was an awesome time. Very good, fun exciting time!

Kristina M., Pasadena MD

Show was too funny! Rachael stole the show! Love her character!

April A., Washington DC

Great evening, entertainment, and good food.

Monroe A., Herndon VA

Great experience and would recommend to friends and family
Elizabeth H., Woodbridge VA

Wonderful! Brought girl scout troop, group entertainment for all ages.

Patti E., Wilmington NC

Right personalities for dinner theatre. It was a good time!

Jamal K., Alexandria VA

We really enjoyed the whole evening as food, service and show were great!

Sean U., Gettysburg PA

Very funny! Salmon was good entree. Thanks for a fun night!

Margaret A., Annapolis MD

How the cast is able to multi-task is so amazing
Alicia R., Waco TX

Very innovative! Better than a movie!

Maggie D., Lothian MD

Very good and entertaining. 3^rd show we have seen!

David J., Fredericksburg VA

This was a great way to celebrate my daughter’s sweet 16!

Bill E., Dunn Loring VA

Tom H.

“Jim -

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

The event turned out to be a success.  Everyone had a good time and Tracey [Production Manager] was really great.  People have already expressed interest in having an event like this again in the future.  We may try to do something again with your team during the spring or early summer.  We’ll be in touch.

We really appreciated the continuous back and forth communication and support you gave us in hosting a private event with a custom menu.  This was truly a unique function for our group and well worth it!  We’re so happy everyone’s hard work paid off!”

Sincerely, Monica and Raju S., Vegetarian Society of DC

Aliticia G., Leesburg VA

I like the excitement.

Brittany G., Woodbridge VA

Had a great time.  Thanks so much.

Kris S., Dumfries VA

My first time at a dinner theater.  Loved it!

Barbara N., Dumfries VA

Great Show!!!!

Rosalyn T., Capitol Heights MD

Very Good.

Martina T., Mount Laurel NJ

Lots of fun.  Love the interaction with crowd.

George and Anne S., Fairfax VA

Terrific show, worth my first visit to DC!

Jonathan R., Los Angeles CA

Great show, great food!

Maryloo H., Manassas VA

We shall return!

Paul B., Burke VA

Fantastic first experience.

Jeremiah K., Chevy Chase MD

Did not know that you were so close.  Am a buff and will be a regular.

Denise A., Washington DC

Excellent!  I will organize a group to mystery dinner.

F. Joseph, Washington DC

-Anthony T., Annapolis MD

Very nice show.  I like how everything was organized.  It flowed well.

-Michelle M., Springfield VA

Very inventive group. I liked the show.

-Joan L., Denver CO

Thank you so much.  You all did a great job!

-Navia A., Potomac MD

Good Job.  Very fun night!

-Jeff & Tessa H., Woodbridge VA

Great show and everyone was entertaining. Frank selerno/Bobby stood out. Tori and Lena were stars of the show.  We’ll recommend to friends.

-Penetekoso P., Odenton MD

Thanks a lot.  Awesome show.  I’ll bring more friends next time.

-Kyle F., Complejeune NC

Very enjoyable evening. Thank you.

-Sandy K., La Plata MD

Excellent entertainment and excellent food.  Love Frankie.

-Nydia D., Dale City VA

Will be back.

-Hilda S., Alexandria VA

It was great. Would come again.

-Heather A., Manassas VA

Great time.

-Andrew A., Manassas VA

Don’t change a thing!

-Cyrus S., Macedonia OH

We had a wonderful time.  Thanks you.

-Lawrence & Jenny H., Onondaga MI

Thank you.  We had a great time!

-Chris L., Gore VA

Best dinner ever.  Thanx and come to Puerto Rico.

-Pablo G., San Juan PR

Enjoyed the show.  Great fun!!

-Chris P., Hazelthorne MD

Had a lot of fun!!

-Freda R., Los Angeles CA

Wonderful. Thanks for the fun.

-Berry M., Newport RI

Awesome job!

-Joshua L., Fredericksburg VA

The show was great.  Thank you for making our day!

-Tonia A., Brooklyn NY

Loved it all.  Had a good laugh and the food was delish!

-Jaime A., Brooklyn NY

Our first cast was great!  Frank Minor, Flora DeCastri, Terry Lee Adams, Eric O’Brien, Mark Wells, and, of course, Ronald Blankenship. What a bunch of troopers.  They took our wacky form of theater and ran with it.  We considered casting a young actor named Harry Kollatz, Jr, but he decided to take himself out of consideration because he’d just been offered a new job at Richmond Magazine. Our actors have become like family, and as in any family, we have sadly lost members over the years.  Paige Keinel, Carlton Candler, and Mary Sue Carroll, all left us too soon, and are missed terribly.

There were several other theaters in Richmond that formed in 1993, including The Firehouse Theater Project (there’s Harry again) and The Triangle Players.   We were fortunate enough to hook up with these companies, and others such as The Barksdale and Theatre IV, to help form the Richmond Alliance of Professional Theaters (RAPT).  It helped us integrate into the local theater community, and form friendships that are still strong 17 years later.

Sometime around 1995, I came home one day and Laura said, “We had a woman call and asked if we could do a medieval show, and I told them you’d write one.”  So since that time I’ve been writing our shows.  I have about 30 shows in my catalogue, and have been licensing the performance rights to groups all over the country.  You can currently see “Frankly Scarlet, You’re Dead” at the Great Smoky Mountain Mystery Dinner Show, and “Marriage Can Be Murder!” at the Savannah Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, in Savannah Georgia.

In 1998 we expanded to Williamsburg in what is now the Clarion Inn and Suites. 1999 found us opening at the DoubleTree in Virginia Beach, and six years down the road, we opened a location in Northern Virginia, finally settling into the Sheraton Crystal City.

Laura often points out that running a business is sort of like raising a child.  Like a child, we’re amazed at how it’s changed, and grown. And despite the grey hairs it has caused, we still love it.

Jim Daab

Here’s the excerpt:

“Last week I promised you a recipe for the absolutely awesome soup we had at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Va. I received the following information from the people there.

Jim D[aab], from the Mystery Dinner Playhouse at The Sheraton in Arlington, Va., sent a note explaining that the chef, who was from Europe, had returned to his position in his native country. He also says that he never uses amounts, just adds ingredients to taste. I think if you want to prepare a smaller recipe just try one of each vegetable and add the other ingredients according to taste.”

She also included the recipe in her column:

Mystery Dinner Playhouse – DC/Arlington vegetable soup recipe
Diced tomato
Diced onion
Diced celery
Diced zucchini
Diced yellow squash
Chopped fresh cilantro
Diced Spanish onion
Chopped fresh parsley
V8 juice
Vegetable base
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Diced green pepper
Diced carrots
Water

Let us know if you want a recipe from any of our shows’ menus and we’ll do our best to oblige, although don’t be surprised if our chefs want to keep their culinary creations a mystery:)