EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — Feather boas, beads, and plenty of suspicious side-eyes filled the room as the Excelsior Springs Area Cultural Guild hosted its annual Murder Mystery fundraiser Feb. 27–28, capped off with a March 1 matinee.
This year’s production, “Who Killed the King of Bling?” by Michael Druce, transported the crowd straight to a Big Easy-style whodunnit, where the glitter was bright, the family drama was louder than a brass band, and nearly everyone had a reason to want the “King of Bling” gone.
The story centers on Ben Yaye, a self-proclaimed monarch of Mardi Gras beads who inherits the family business and quickly becomes, in the play’s words, “totally and completely intolerable.” With fortunes shifting and feelings bruised, the suspects pile up fast: a fed-up wife, a daughter who finds her future suddenly on shaky ground, a twin brother, and even the household staff who realize their livelihoods may be headed for the chopping block.
Then Ben drops dead, allegedly from “natural causes,” and that is when the fun begins.
Sheriff Red Baynes and Deputy Jasmine Rice arrive to untangle a swampy mess of secrets, motives, and just enough deception to keep the audience guessing. The case may be set in New Orleans, but the laughter and community spirit felt right at home in Excelsior Springs.
Local cast brings the mystery to life
The Cultural Guild’s volunteer cast leaned into the Mardi Gras theme and big personalities, giving the crowd plenty of memorable moments while the plot twisted and turned.
Cast members included:
Eric Schwab as Ben Yaye and twin brother Boo Yaye
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.excelsiorcitizen.com ’
