A murder occurred in the “talent show from hell,” and audience members helped solve the crime at the University’s first comedic murder mystery dinner held in the Union Saturday night.

The play “Knock ‘Em Dead” was staged at Vinnie’s Belly Laugh Club, where club owner Vinnie Bumpcuss met his untimely death when he was stabbed in the back with a dagger. One murder suspect was talent show emcee Lou Dumbello, who was covering up a numbers racket and was strapped for cash. Rounding out the suspect list were five outrageous talent show contestants each with a motive and opportunity to have committed the crime.

A foul-mouthed stand-up comedian was bearing a grudge. A baton twirling bimbo was too dumb to believe. A flamboyant owner of a lip-synching poodle was struggling with insecurities. A club singer with a questionable accent and a twitchy hypnotist each had a mysterious past.

A ventriloquist with moving lips turned out to be an undercover police detective who questioned each suspect. The clues he unveiled included a key to a locked door, a knife in a suitcase, a bloody scarf, a map to the office and suspicious behaviors and mysterious disappearances.

As the detective grilled each suspect, the audience was invited to participate in the investigation. The risqué explanations the suspects offered in their defense brought laughs from the audience.

After all suspects were interrogated, a vote was polled from the audience to determine the guiltiest suspect. Simultaneously as the vote was tallied, a phone call from police headquarters provided evidence found on the dead body that confirmed the majority vote.

Flamboyant dog owner, Ian Wayne, had murdered club owner Vinnie Bumpcuss in an act of revenge. In an earlier hit and run accident, Bumpcuss had killed the mother of Wayne’s performing poodle.

“It was a good show,” Betty Kerns, audience member, said. The overall mystery and suspense climaxed when the stage lights went out, and screams were heard from the club singer and bimbo characters. In general, the competing antics of the talent show contestants brought added laughs and entertainment to the audience.

“The actor, Matt Robinson, did a good job portraying the character, Lou Dumbello,” Torrence Powell, graduate student, said.

Robinson conveyed a comedic mobster mentality with a New York accent.

The evening’s entertainment began with an Italian dinner served family-style. The menu included mobster garden salad with an arsenal of dressings, chicken pasta Vinnie, the vegetable gang, flying baton breadsticks and the dessert, death by tiramisu. Alcoholic beverages were available at an additional cost.

“The event was a success,” Bill Blair, interim student union director, said. The show was performed before a sold out crowd, and the audience had positive comments about the show.

The event was sponsored by the University’s student union, dining services, theatre department and Theta Alpha Phi. With continued collaboration between dining services and the theatre department, future murder mystery performances are possible, Blain said.