"Showdown at the Kara-OK-e Corral" by The Mystery Cafe at Majestic Oaks Golf Club

The good news is that The Mystery Cafe is back with another new original comedy mystery theater immersive dinner experience! The bad news is that after 37 years, this is the final season of The Mystery Cafe. If you've attended one of their shows before, you know that they hold a unique space in #TCTheater. Unlike traditional theater, where the audience sits in the dark and watches a story happening on a stage, the story, and storytelling, is all around you. There's no separation between audience and cast, we're all experiencing it together in an informal, fun, and playful way. If you've not had this experience before, you might want to get out to Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake for Showdown at the Kara-OK-e Corral, playing on select dates through February 15. Or to the Sheraton Bloomington to see a remount of recent hits A Cruise-mas Carol and 'Til Death Do I Die, playing in rep with this show and featuring much of the same cast. It's your last chance to solve a mystery!

The subtitle of Showdown at the Kara-OK-e Corral, written by Mystery Cafe owner Brian Kelly, is "Anoka's Got Talent?" Yes, with a question mark. We are gathered in this ballroom to watch (and maybe participate in) a local karaoke contest, and determine if these singers have talent (spoiler alert: they do). The contest is run by Myrna Shamwow (Michelle Cassioppi), who admits that she has not been fairly judging the contest, favoring her daughter Tiffany Shamwow (Nissa Nordland), a Britney Spears wannabe. But this year, she swears, the contest will be fair, with us, the audience, as judges. Contestants include the hippies Sully and Shar (Casey Martin and Josh Carson), the "cowboy crooner" Colt Yokum (Brad Erikson), the ringer Jimi Wylde (Dave Gangler), and Tiffany's assistant Iris Voxx (Brittany Oberstadt), with Bernie Love (Sam Landman) hosting and running the karaoke machine. They take turns singing solos and duets, with the usual trash talk as each one desperately wants to win. And if you haven't already guessed it from these character names, the show is full of puns and pop culture references.

the cast of Showdown with that night's big winner
(photo courtesy of The Mystery Cafe)

But don't forget, this is a murder mystery show, and someone does indeed end up dead before the third course! That's where the audience comes in; we have the opportunity to guess whodunit and why, with prizes given to the most correct and most creative answers. But that's not the only opportunity for audience participation. This is also a karaoke contest, and everyone has the chance to sing their song by scanning a QR code at the table and entering. It took a while for people to warm up to this idea, but we eventually had several people get up and sing, which definitely adds to the fun community feel of the show. I'm a professional audience member so I did not get up on stage and sing into a mic, but I love a singalong, which happily many of the songs turned into.

Most of this cast has been with The Mystery Cafe for years, and they're all so great at this specific kind of performance. They perform short scripted scenes between courses that further the plot, and they also stay in character throughout the show as they help to serve the food and clear the dishes, and mingle amongst the audience chatting and potentially being bribed for clues to the mystery. It's this in-between stuff that really adds color to the experience. And all of this while we eat a three-course meal, including dessert, with themed cocktails for purchase. This show featured a set meal, with a vegetarian option available upon request (contact The Mystery Cafe for any dietary needs or restrictions).

Don't miss your last chance for the unique experience of The Mystery Cafe that combines theater, comedy, improv, music, and food in a fun, accessible, playful way.