The Dance of Murder | Columbia Basin Herald

LAKE MOSES — The words “ballet”, “interactive” and “murder mystery” are not often found.

“You’ve never really seen it before,” said Shawn Cardwell, executive director of Columbia Basin Allied Arts, which will present Ballet Fantastique’s “Murder on the Ballet” Friday at the Wallenstien Theater. “This is a world premiere. They found no evidence that anyone else had ever done anything like this.”

The events of “Murder at the Ballet” take place on a dark and stormy night in London, where the newest diva of the Les Etoiles ballet company has been murdered. Almost any character could do this: a director whose affair with a ballerina could be exposed; a jealous and abusive understudy who thinks she deserves the lead role; the director’s jealous wife; and several others, which all have reason to do in the poor dancer. But there is a twist.

“About halfway through Act 2, there will be a short intermission and the audience will be able to pull out their phones and vote right there,” said Isabelle Bloodgood, who plays Detective Irene Poet. “It could literally be anyone, and the detective in the play doesn’t even know who will be chosen that night.”

After counting the votes, the detective will pass the results to the chosen culprit, who must then become the killer for the night. That means the cast has to be ready to jump into one of half a dozen scenarios at a moment’s notice.

“It’s a little bit different from a typical murder mystery where you get killed early on and then have flashbacks to figure it out,” Bloodgood said. “In our version (the murder) doesn’t happen until the end of the first act. So the entire first act, the audience will see these interactions and see right here, and then what motive each person might have for killing that person. And then in Act 2, the detectives will uncover a few more clues, but at this stage they’ll at least have an idea of ​​who they think might have done it.”

Audiences familiar with traditional ballet will find Ballet Fantastique’s approach slightly different, as the detective tells the story in voice-over, and some of the dancers also speak.

“I think audiences who have never seen dance before will really enjoy the show because they can follow along,” Bloodgood said. “They don’t have to just sit there and be confused by the fact that no one is talking on stage.”

Murder at the Ballet features original music by Juan Luca, who has composed music for the television shows The Last of Us and Liebes Kind, as well as several films and video games.

This is not Ballet Fantastique’s first visit to Moses Lake; the Eugene, Oregon troupe presented Sleepy Hollow in 2022. “Murder at the Ballet” is completely new; his first performance took place on Thursday.

“From the very first moment I saw Ballet Fantastique in rehearsal in Eugene, I was just blown away by how theatrical (their work) was,” Cardwell said. “Not only are they great dancers, but they make all these stories and the genre of ballet really accessible, fun and exciting for everyone.”

Because the performance takes place the day after Halloween, audience members are encouraged to come in costume, Cardwell said. CBAA members are invited to join sponsors and advertisers before the show for a catered members-only party with drinks, food and giveaways.

People hesitant to attend the ballet will find “Murder at the Ballet” a pleasant surprise, Bloodgood said.

“It’s very different than watching ‘Swan Lake’ or ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ where you kind of fall asleep in Act 2,” she said. “You’re definitely awake, you’re going to love it.”

Diva and potential murder victim (Ashley Bontrager), left, dances with principal dancer (Gustavo Ramirez) in Ballet Fantastique’s production of “Murder in Ballet.” The ballet will take the stage Friday at the Wallenstien Theater in Moses Lake.

Detective Irene Poet (Isabelle Bloodgood) takes the plunge in Ballet Fantastique’s Murder on the Ballet, Friday at the Wallenstine Theater in Moses Lake.

Jealous and abusive Doubler (Brooke Jeffrey-Bowler) is just one of the possible culprits in Murder at the Ballet, which opens at Moses Lake on Friday. The audience will decide whether she is guilty or someone else.