If you go
› What: Murder-Mystery Dinner Show› Where: The Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, Ga.› When: 7-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Aug. 25-26› Admission: $22› For more information: 423-935-9000
The Colonnade Players are throwing a party for Grandma Rose's 80th birthday at The Colonnade this weekend - and everyone's invited.
And no matter which side of the family you're on, you'll have a front-row seat when sparks start to fly during this murder-mystery dinner, "Eat, Drink and Be Murdered," presented in two shows Friday and Saturday nights, Aug. 25-26.
Rose O'Riley McFadden, played by JoAnn McKinney, gave her family's secret whiskey recipe to her husband, Finian McFadden, years ago. He built a distillery and turned Wild Irish Rose Whiskey into one of the top-selling brands in the world.
Rose gave Finian the O'Riley family recipe, but purposely left out one ingredient as an "insurance policy." Only she knows what that ingredient is, and every day, she goes to the distillery and adds it to the mix. Nobody's fool, Rose realized Finian married her for the recipe and didn't trust him.
Unfortunately, the McFaddens and the O'Rileys have always hated each other. But their hatred escalated when the McFaddens got filthy rich and the O'Rileys were forced to work for them at the distillery because there was no other employment in town.
When Finian McFadden died tragically after falling into a vat of whiskey, Finian and Rose's son, Conor, took over running the distillery - but not with absolute control.
Rose hoped when Conor, played by Jeff Buchwald, took over the business he'd make the O'Rileys partners and the feud would end. But Conor turned out to be a chip off the old McFadden block, a real O'Riley hater.
Now, Rose's health and mind appear to be failing, and both families are worried. Suppose she dies before revealing the secret ingredient? Then it will be last call for Wild Irish Rose Whiskey, the McFadden empire and the O'Rileys' hopes of regaining what they feel is rightfully theirs.
At the birthday bash, the McFaddens and the O'Rileys are stuck in one room together to honor Rose. That's a lot of hatred under one roof. Will this reunion of two feuding families turn deadly?
Jan Daigle is directing "Eat Drink and Be Murdered." The dinner show will be catered by Wally's Restaurant.
For more information: 935-9000.