(Hamilton, OH) – Do something you love and you never have to work a day in your life.
On the other hand, you might get whacked.
Par for George Snider’s course.
Snider is the founder and owner of Murder and Merriment, the interactive mystery troupe bringing Rat Pack and Poison: A Killer Show to the Fitton Center Saturday, April 5, for the Jazz & Cabaret series season finale.
It’s a return engagement for Murder and Merriment, following their 2023 Jazz & Cabaret production of Prohibition Murder, set in a Chicago speakeasy.
This time, it’s 1960 at the Sands Casino and Hotel in Vegas.
Legendary crooners Frank Cilantro and Dean Martino are performing at a fundraiser, but there’s a killer in the room not feeling too charitable. When somebody turns up dead, the immersive musical mystery experience tests the mettle of all the high rollers in attendance.
“We hope to recreate that Rat Pack vibe,” said Snider, who plays Martino. “It was a magical time. We’ll probably never see anything like it again. The biggest stars, singing the best music. People flocking out west in the middle of desert to gamble, drink and have a great time.”
Not just to see Frank and Dino, either. Rat Pack features a nine-person cast with characters based on Marilyn Monroe, Shirley MacLaine, Bobby Kennedy, mobsters and more.
It’s a volatile mix somebody won’t survive.
“All the guests receive a packet introducing the characters and telling them the rules of the game,” Snider said. “From there, they can be as interactive as they want to be or they can just sit back, watch and listen. The actors will be all over the room, telling stories, dropping hints.
“Guests will have a chance to question the cast and then everybody tries to piece together who is the murderer.”
On average, Snider said only 10 to 20 percent of a given audience successfully cracks the case.
Rat Pack is a particular passion project for Snider among the 60+ mysteries Murder and Merriment performs.
“I get to do this one with my best friend, Lee Dean, who plays the Sinatra character,” he said. “Of course, Frank and Dean were the best of friends, too, so this is a great for us. We’re playing characters, but we’re not acting. We really love singing these songs and entertaining people.
“I’ve been a Sinatra fan forever, but in the last 10 years or so, I’ve really gotten a new appreciation for Dean. He was the king of fun. I’ve worked really hard to develop my impression of him.”
The effort paid off. He performed at the annual Dean Martin Hometown Festival in Steubenville, Ohio, last June.
Snider said the Carruthers Signature Ballroom is perfect for a murder mystery.
“The Fitton Center is a great room for us,” he said. “Especially for this show. It already has that showroom feel. It already looks great in there. If people come, get dressed up for a big night out, it helps get everyone in the mood. It’s going to be a rip-roaring good time.”
Tickets for Rat Pack and Poison: A Killer Show are $39 for Fitton Center members and $48 for non-members; they are available online right here, by phone at 513-863-8873, ext. 110 or in person at the Fitton Center Box Office.
Parties of eight may reserve tables for the event by phone; parties of four may reserve half tables. Otherwise, the ballroom features open, cabaret-style seating on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be complimentary snacks on each table and a cash bar open before and during the show.
The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.
Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture
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