April 21, 2025 • 57 mins
🔪🎭 Mystery, Mead & Merriment! | The Tucson Tasty Show 🍽️🎙️Get ready for a thrilling and tasty episode of The Tucson Tasty Show! We’re diving into delectable drama with Murder Mystery Co., where dinner comes with a side of suspense.
Then, we’re stepping back in time to the Arizona Renaissance Festival, where giant turkey legs, hearty mead, and medieval flavors reign supreme!
Tune in for killer cuisine, theatrical thrills, and Renaissance revelry—this is one feast for the senses you won’t want to miss! 🎶🍗
🕵️📻 Listen in and let the feast begin!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tucson-tasty-show--6022348/support.
Then, we’re stepping back in time to the Arizona Renaissance Festival, where giant turkey legs, hearty mead, and medieval flavors reign supreme!
Tune in for killer cuisine, theatrical thrills, and Renaissance revelry—this is one feast for the senses you won’t want to miss! 🎶🍗
🕵️📻 Listen in and let the feast begin!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tucson-tasty-show--6022348/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Amids the ancient rooms of a forgotten civilization, a mysterious temple.
Paul states with an otherworldly energy, the guardian of this
taste Define Sanctuary moves forward, a figure shrouded in enigma,
in power.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
He doesn't just taste food, he summons.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Forgotten flavors and awakens dormant passions. Behold the Wizard of Food,
Wesley Source in the Tucson Tasty Show.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Welcome to the Tucson Tasty Show. I'm your host, Wesley Source,
and we're diving into something a little different, a world
where food meets live entertainment and you become a part
of the action. Imagine sitting down for a dinner and
suddenly you're a part of the minner of a murder mystery,
a comedy skit, or an interactive theater experience. That That's
(01:03):
exactly what American Emersion Theater specializes in. They create immersion
shows where the audience isn't just watching, they're the story. Today,
we have a special guest from American Immersion Theater, Jenna,
who is a director who will give us a behind
the scene look at how these events transform meals into
(01:27):
theatrical adventures. Before we jump in I want to take
a moment and thank our amazing sponsors. That's Veraoral Premium,
Beef Local First Arizona, Tucson Family Food Project, Soka, and
Pertillo's hot Dogs. We couldn't bring you the Tucson Tasty
Show without them. And if you are, if you are
a food lover, don't forget to visit the Tucsontastyshow dot com.
(01:52):
I'm sorry, that's the Tastyshow dot com and that's where
you'll find an exclusive foody content and past episodes and
our Tasty Show membership program members unlock secret menu items,
VIP dinner experiences, and even surprise restaurant gift cards. Sign
up now at the Tastyshow dot com. And all right,
(02:18):
let's get into it, and I'm excited to introduce today
a guest from our guest from American Immersion Theater. Welcome
to the Tucson Tasty Show.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Jenna, Hello, thank you so much for having me, wes Lee.
And that was a perfect introduction of exactly what we
do with the Murder Mystery Company. So very good job.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And so what is the Immersion Theater and what makes
it unique?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
So American Immersion Theater is an immersive style a theater experience.
So Murder Mystery Company is our bread and butter. It's
interactive Murder Mystery Dinner theater shows exactly what you described.
But we also have the Prince's Party Company. We also
have what's called Famous for a Day where we will
(03:06):
literally act like paparazzi for your event. So those are
all interactive, immersive experiences that.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Terrifying, Actually paparazzi for the event.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
No, it depends on the person.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And you said a princess.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Yes, we have the Prince's Party Company. I know it's
weird having the Murder Mystery Company and the Princess Party.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Now that makes sense if anybody seemed Disney, I mean
that really does make sense, right.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah right, the parents always die, so yeah, it goes
hand in hand. Yeah. So I'm also a princess as well,
so we offer princesses for birthday parties or even I've
done a ribbon cutting event as a princess.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So any what kind of a business, just any business.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
It was a grand opening for a dentist office and
they wanted a princess there.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That's awesome. I love it. And then and then so
you do Murder Mysteries Princess and then Paparazzi free day
before we get too far. How can people get a
hold of you guys?
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Very easy. If you google the Murder Mystery Company, we
are probably the first one to pop up on there. Also,
if you look up the American Immersion Theater, they're one
and the same. American Immersion Theater is our umbrella company,
and the Murder Mystery Company, of course, is a part
of that. So if you look up either or you'll
be able to find us and you'll have one of
(04:33):
our consultants take care of any questions that you have
and help book your event. They'll walk you through everything.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So when you're creating these and you have scripts and
you guys plan and you prepare, which is awesome because
then you have somebody guiding the conversation right and the
murder Mystery which was really great when we went through
the experience at the Arizona Sans Club, because I think
I want off script maybe once or twice just by accident,
(05:02):
you know, nothing on or purpose or anything. But it
was go read out loud what you're supposed to be doing,
and it's like, oh, okay, I get it now. But
it was a lot of fun and it definitely added
an element of collaboration in the room that you don't
typically get with you know, grouped dinner setting, right, and
(05:25):
that's kind of what you're going for, right.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, absolutely, that's the immersive style. We want the audience
to be an integral part of our shows, so we
incorporate them into the world and when they can get
into character, all the better. So you did exactly what
you're supposed to do. Yeah, it's what we call scripted
and also improv so it's a little bit of bolth.
(05:48):
So yes, scripts are what we follow the actors and
we have to stay true to the clues of the story,
but also improv comes from you never know what the
audience get is, so we have to be prepared for that.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
My favorite line was I don't know, uh.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Yeah, the code words, the code words, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
And yeah, but I think we all had a lot
of fun that night. And and anybody can hire, so
you go into any restaurant that's willing to host, which
is really cool because I think it's a unique interactive experience.
Dining that is is becoming very popular, especially you know
(06:31):
with you know, just trying to get the the family
out of the house or friends or you know, you know,
large groups, which is really cool. Yeah, so how do
the productions transform the meal into the entertainment experience? As
far as you know it's are are the meals interrupted?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Right?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Because that's the biggest thing. You're out, you're you're at
an expensive dinner and then you're doing this as well.
Talk us through that process.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
So so we're used to working with restaurants and even
at home when they have a meal prepared. So that's
part of how the script is laid out. So we're
used to working with the staff and the restaurant. Our
public show, our public event we have is at the
old Spaetty Factory in Phoenix, where we'll work with the
(07:20):
staff and coordinate dinner service. So we use that in
any restaurant that we perform at. And you know what
you saw our show. It's broken down into sections, so
you have several acts and then you have a couple
times for investigation time, which allows us to coordinate food
(07:41):
during that time. So we're used to it. You know
what's also great about our company a post from other
murder mystery companies, is because we don't provide the food.
We can have more flexibility with other restaurants that we
can perform anywhere. Basically, we come to you and we'll
(08:06):
bring the murder to you.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Do you ever work with any caterers or go into
like a theater and you have the but you have
a working relationship.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
With the We don't, And I know there's a reason
for it, just for the flexibility of not having, you know,
to deal with the caters on that side. But we're
understood definitely used to interacting with the restaurant and coordinating
every that for the client.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
So I've got to circle back to the famous for
a day. You've got to explain that a little bit
more to me because I just don't understand somebody that
would want to book that. But that's okay, that's what
I want to learn, right, So what would you say
to I mean, what would you say to that type
of an event.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
So a couple, we do a lot of sweet sixteen,
so they want a big birthday party. So everyone comes
down on the red car and they want to feel special.
They have the photographers, you know, flashing photos. There's you know,
two to four actors acting as paparazzi, there's someone asking
me questions, and it's for a couple hours to make
(09:15):
you feel like the Hollywood experience, like you're on the
red carpet, make you feel special. I think it's next
week we have one where we're doing it's a corporate
event and I believe someone was retiring, so we want
to give extra love to the person who's retiring.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
So it's a really cool concept. Yeah, it's that is
really cool. And then what about the the princess? So
you said the princess party and you can do everything
from a ribbon cutting to birthday parties. Do you what
are you seeing in the culinary scene as far as
(09:55):
you need wanting that interaction or that extra level of
celebrity in the room if you will.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Oh well, I haven't thought about that, but I mean
definitely if you want a princess at your restaurant, like
I'm game for that, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Okay, all right, it's coming up with ideas. There you go,
new marketing strategy brought to you by the Tuscan Tasi show.
Just tag that there. And then of course the bread
and butter is the mystery or murder mystery, right, and uh,
and we really want to you know, kind of dive
into that and a little bit more because you know,
(10:29):
what is murder mystery? Uh, there's a lot of younger, younger,
the younger generation that don't understand what that is. But
so we've got about two minutes left in this segment
or in the first segment here, but let's talk about
the murder mystery and then we'll pick up on the
other other side of the break.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Okay, go ahead, So murder mystery? What is murder mystery?
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah? What what is murder mystery?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Mystery?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Is it like the onion of the glass onion? The
glass onions. That's always what I always kind of compared
it to. And it's kind of the atmosphere that you
get as well.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
It's funny. I just I just watched that movie the
other days. I love Daniel Craig. So it talks about
motive and opportunity. I'm like, oh my gosh, that's exactly
what we do in the show. We talk about motive
and opportunity. So murder mystery, you have a collective of
suspicious people who are suspects who may or may not
have anyone could have done it. Probably the butler. But
(11:30):
I don't know, maybe not. I was innocent, Yeah, the butler,
So they may or may not have motive, an opportunity
and shocker, there's a murder that has to happen yet yep.
And of course you have a team of detectives, which
is the audience, to help solve their murder.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Fair awesome. Well, we're going to be right back after
this very short break. We'll talk about how food becomes
a part of your immersion theater experience and why this
is one of the most exciting trends in dining. Stay
tuned and stay tasty, Tucson. Hello, this is Wesley's source
(12:18):
with the Tucson Tasty Show. With every tasty bite from
Veepremiumbeef dot Com, you get premiumbefflavor from the amazing ground
beef to the melt in your mouth Ribi steaks. Every
ounce is exceptionally aged for more than twenty one days,
giving vera earl premium beef exceptional premium beef flavor. Order
online at Vepremiumbeef dot Com. Again, that's ve Premiumbeef dot Com.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
Hi. I'm Stephen Kodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project.
Here in Tucson. No family should have to choose between
paying bills and putting food on the table. That's why
we're here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families
in need every single week. But we need your help.
Just one dollar can have a huge impact on a
family's nutrition and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can
(13:05):
make sure every child in our community has access to
nourishing food and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot
org to learn more and to make your donation today. Together,
we're not just helping families, We're building a stronger TUSO.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Hello, this is Wesley's source with the Tucson Tasty Show.
With every tasty bite from Vepremiumbeef dot Com, you get
premiumbefflavor from the amazing ground beef to the melt in
your mouth Ribbi steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally aged for
more than twenty one days, giving vera earl Premium Beef
exceptional premium beef flavor. Order online at VE Premiumbeef dot com. Again,
(13:43):
that's VE premiumbef dot com. Hey, Tucson, Ready to spice
up your dining experience? Join the Tucson Tasty Show Supporter
membership and unlock exclusive access to secret menu items from
our partner restaurants. What kind Dishes aren't just regular menu items,
crafted just for our members. It's your backstage pass to
(14:06):
Tucson's best kept culinary secrets. Sign up today at the
Tastyshow dot com and discover what you've been missing. Stay
tasty Tucson.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing and
metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give back
to Tucson. We're meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
(14:38):
for your next gathering or your workshop. Visits Sparkproject Collective
dot com to learn more and discover where creativity and
connection meet.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
Welcome to the Tucson Tasty Show, brought to you by
SOKA Southern Arizona Art and Cultural Alliance dedicated to creating, preserving,
and advancing the arts and now it's time for more
Tasty Bites with your host, Wesley Source.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Welcome back to the Tucson Tasty Show, brought to you
by SOCCA, the Southern Arizona Art and Cultural Alliance. SOCCA
is dedicated to grading, preserving and advancing the arts. I'm
your host, Wesley Source, and this is the Tucson Tasty Show.
We have a special guest today in studio. It's a
Murder Mystery Dinners and it's one of a kind dining
(15:28):
experience where you become the table becomes the stage for
the live theater. And we have Jenna here in the studio.
Thank you for being down here. It's a long drive
because you're up in Phoenix.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
We really appreciate you coming down to Tucson. Hopefully you
have some other things that you can hit up on
the way out of town. But we're really excited to
have you today.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Thanks for having me. I'm used to driving, so it's
all good.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Speaking of which, you cover your true which for everyone
out or out in the world, the or theater group.
You cover everywhere from Nevada, Southern California, New Mexico and
Intel Passo.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Right, yeah, so our grounds we travel all over Arizona,
and we go to Vegas probably once a week. I'll
be going there on Friday for a show New Mexico,
El Paso. But if you don't live in that area,
we have twenty five troops across the country, so wherever
you are, we can come and kill for you.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
And how many people are in your group? Because you
can do multiple shows in a day. You were talking
about doing twelve this week, which is awesome. How many
people do you have that you collaborate with.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
I have forty actors in the Phoenix Troup and yeah,
so we have about twelve shows this week and our
busy season. December, I did twenty shows in two.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Days, twenties shows in two days.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
It was a chaotic week, but it was great.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Fair enough. That sounds like my week sometimes. So yeah, no,
definitely awesome. So let's jump back into it. Let's talk.
Let's finish up talking about the murder Mystery dinner. Can
we go through one of the scenarios and talk about
I think the Roaring thirties would be is the one
that we were at, the Roaring thirties, the Roaring twenties.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
The golden age of Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You're okay and that's the thirties. That was not such
a great time.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Not really, No, the twenties and thirties really weren't a
great time, but they're great for murder mysteries.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yes, fair enough. And so it was the nineteen thirties
themed and I'll let you take it.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
So it's bestly plans. Is our show set in the
nineteen thirties. It's the golden age of Hollywood, and you're
at somewhat of a movie premiere. Back in the day,
they used to have big celebrations of when a movie
was about to be made. So you're at this pre
opening of this movie called The Loneliest Butterfly, produced by
(18:13):
Sir warn Piece. No one has seen Sir warn Peace
in person. He's very reclusive, he's very Howard Hughes, and
you have these Hollywood elite that come to his home.
And he only invited the people his worst enemies to
his home, people that want to kill him, right because
(18:35):
he wants to die.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
That's yes, I remember that, and it was very odd.
I was like, well, I mean, there's not not going
to be And then there was some twists and turns
as well, which was really cool. We always with a
or mystery. You always liked those twists and turns, right,
plot twists and can we speak to any of those?
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Sure? So in the end, there there's several double identities,
so some people who may or may not be who
they claimed to be, and it's not revealed until the
end of the show. So I think there's several identity
(19:16):
swap set. I don't want to give a good away
too much, but yeah, there's definitely instances where you won't
predict what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Fair, No, you don't, and we were surprised by a
few of them. In fact, I was the butler. Now
I was not originally selected as the butler. Oddly enough,
the person that was at the end my table was
and he was he forgot his reading glasses. He was like, hey,
why don't you just take it? Yes, and I was like, sure,
(19:46):
let's do that. I was really, yeah, it doesn't it
was but it was a lot of fun, is what
it turned out to be. And it was really cool
to kind of be have that role and be a
part of it. And I got Best Actor, So you know,
that's something. I don't know if it's something big or not,
(20:06):
but do you guys, you do you do awards for
the team that won, and my team also won, not
because of me, but because of my counterpart, Producer Tina solved.
She solved everything that's hard. Our group was like it's
this or this and this, and then she was like, no,
(20:27):
I think it's and she wrote it out in great
detail and we won, and it was like the opposite
of the whole group is that's what producer Tina does.
But she's usually right. So but yes, and the hats
were fun, but you've got to get some extra large
(20:51):
hats because I was it was like wearing a a
toy hat have for lack of.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Better terms, I've gotten that before, so it's not just you.
It's okay.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So there's some big heads out there and it's the
big brain that goes with it. So but it was.
It was really interesting because you know the role of
the butler was I was in charge of the wait
staff and in charge of making sure that everybody had
everything that they needed. I took my job very seriously
and I worked the room to make sure that everybody
(21:25):
had stuff. Somebody asked for sasparilla, so we got them
as sasparrella and there was actually a couple of those,
and we're friends with the servers at the Arizona Sands
Club because it's it's a social networking club and so
it's you go in there and you do business and
(21:45):
you just get to know the staff very very quickly,
and they're really attentive to what you like and what
you don't like. And it was really cool because then
you know, I'm there and I'm the Tucson Tasty Show
and they're like, oh great, he's the butler. But they
were incredible and they had a lot of fun as well.
And that was the other thing that I saw that
(22:08):
really kind of made or made made you guys stand
out because you took care of the staff very well
and you were very respectful of the staff, and it
can go very lots of different directions, right, Uh, So
we were definitely appreciated of our appreciative of that. With
(22:30):
the butler, though there was so many different like every
time there was a page turn, it was like, I'm
the guy, right, but because the butler always does it,
but he didn't do it. Yeah, thankfully, Yeah, maybe he
did it. I don't know. You have to decide for yourself,
and you can go to American Immersiontheater dot com to
(22:50):
find out that's how you book him, and I'm actually
looking at the website right now. You also have an
atmosphere atmospheric I can speak, I promise atmospheric entertainment. Can
you tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker 8 (23:05):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
So the atmospheric part is what it sounds like. So
if you have an event where you don't want people
to get super involved, they're just kind of there for looks,
we add atmosphere to it, which it's kind of a
new thing that we're adding to the company. One of
the atmospheric things that I did, it was kind of
(23:30):
like a Dungeons and Dragon and we a client booked
us and they wanted to do this scavenger hunt basically
through their house like Dungeons and Dragons, and we would
guide them through the different we would give them different
clues and riddles to solve. So that was kind of
(23:51):
the atmospheric event that I did. We do have other
ones where the La Troop does a lot promote vading
new films coming out, So when they have a premiere
and they'll do an atmospheric event, it might be something
from our shows or something completely different, you know, whatever,
the client needs will make it work.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
That's really cool. That's fun. And you can so you
can be as interactive as you want to be, but
you can just have somebody in the room to have
a conversation and a character larger than life. That's really cool.
And you're you said that you're getting more and more
requests for that. I can imagine that. You know, having
those those plants at a party would be fun, just
(24:35):
to have you know that who is that person? You
know who knows them?
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I was like, who's a weird friend of so and so?
Like they it's always fun when people get to a
party and you know, they meet these big characters, like
who invited this person? They don't expect a murder mystery.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
It's almost like you're having somebody crash your own party.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Yeah, exactly, that's a good way.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
To I actually I really like that idea.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
And yeah, I think we actually did like a wedding
crasher show before. I think that was part of like
the atmospheric that we actually had actors that were like
part of wedding crashers and it was all planned by
like the bride and groom, right, but the guests had
no idea.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
I'm Uncle Joe's kid, right really Okay? Cool? Yeah, that
would be.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Last.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
So we have about a minute and a half left.
But I do have a question. So with the with
the restaurants and chefs do you work with do they
work with the actors to curate a menu to create
that perfect setting and really you know, kind of dive
into like this is a thirties themed party, so we
(25:51):
want to make sure that we're having those those types
of drinks and food.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Yeah, definitely, we do have a set menu that are
even team our crime scene consultants can give to our
client and they can have like their different murder theme
cocktails I've seen. Yeah, and also they can definitely help
coordinate the food timing and what would work best for
the show. Yeah, definitely the style, the theme of the show,
(26:18):
whatever entree, appetizers you feel would work. So they can
definitely walk you through that.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Were those curated by a chef or were they just
like the really cool dishes that you pulled in Did
you work with somebody?
Speaker 4 (26:33):
I would say it was curated by the chef at
their restaurant.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Awesome, So we're going to we're gonna go on a
quick break. We'll be right back. What are up next?
We're going to go behind the curtain and see how
the live shows are brought to life. Don't go anywhere
and definitely go to the Tastyshow dot com and check
out our membership program. It's where you can get all
(26:58):
the secret menu items to the top restaurants in town.
Stay Tasty Tucson. Hello, this is Wesley's source with the
Tucson Tasty Show. With every tasty bite from veeperimiumbef dot com,
(27:21):
you get premiumbefflavor from the amazing ground beef to the
melt in your mouth Ribbi steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally
aged for more than twenty one days, giving Verra Earl
Premium Beef exceptional premium beef flavor. Order online at vepremiumbef
dot com. Again, that's ve Premiumbeef dot Com. Hi.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
I'm Stephen Kodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project. Here
in Tucson, no family should have to choose between paying
bills and putting food on the table. That's why we're
here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families in
need every single week. But we need your help. Just
one dollar can have a huge impact on a face,
family's nutrition and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can
make sure every child in our community has access to
(28:06):
nourishing food and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot
org to learn more and to make your donation today. Together,
we're not just helping families, We're building a stronger Tuson.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Hey, Tucson, Ready to spice up your dining experience? Join
the Tucson Tasty Show Supporter membership and unlock exclusive access
to secret menu items from our partner restaurants. These one
of a kind dishes aren't just regular menu items crafted
just for our members. It's your backstage pass to Tucson's
best kept culinary secrets. Sign up today at the Tastyshow
(28:39):
dot com and discover what you've been missing. Stay Tasty. Tucson.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing and
metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give back
a Tucson. We're meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
(29:06):
for your next gathering or your workshop. Visits Spark Project
Collective dot com to learn more and discover where creativity
and connection meet.
Speaker 7 (29:21):
Welcome to the Tucson Tasties Show, brought to you by SOCCA,
Southern Arizona Art and Cultural Alliance dedicated to creating, preserving,
and advancing the arts. And now it's time for more
tasty bites with your host, Wesley Source.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Welcome back to the Tucson Tasty Show. The Tucson Tasty
Show is brought to you by SOCCA, the Southern Arizona
Art and Cultural Alliance dedicated to creating, preserving and advancing
the arts. I'm your host, Wesley Source, and this is
the Tucson Tasty Show. A huge thank you to all
of our amazing sponsor who helped help make the show possible.
That's Viral Premium Beef, Tucson Family Food, Local First Arizona,
(30:01):
Portillo's hot Dogs, and of course Soka. Before we dive in,
don't forget to check out the Tastieshow dot com. That's
where you can listen to all the past episodes, discover
exclusive content, and best of all, join the Taste the
Tucson Tasty Show membership program. Members un lock secret menu
items at Tucson's top restaurant, scoring exclusive rewards, and even
(30:21):
getting surprise restaurant gift cards. If you love food, this
is for you. Go to the Tastyshow dot com and
sign up today. You'll also get a discount on our
upcoming dinner with Chef Yanos Janos Wilder. And it's at
Studio Yanos. There's only twelve seats available and the menu
(30:45):
that he's going to be preparing for us is the
Yanos Favorites. And let me tell you, this is a
tour of the ages and just next level tasty food.
If you know who Chefianos Wilder is, He's a James
Beard Award winning chef and we're really looking forward to
(31:05):
having this dinner with him. And that's gonna be April sixteenth.
Maybe we should add a level of mystery to the evening.
It is going to be for a TV episode though,
So I don't know, Janna, what do you think.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
Mystery on TV?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
It it'd be like, yeah, cool. Maybe we can coordinate
that and see what we can do. But the the
menu is incredible. I mean he has literally everything that
you could ever want, including the perfect potato dish, which
is actually a French dish and he described it on
the show a couple of weeks ago, and I think
(31:45):
I asked him. I was like, why don't we just,
you know, forget the brest of the show. Let's just
go make that and do a video with that, and
then we'll eat that together and come back.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
What's the perfect potato?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I would have to pull it up to give you.
It's almost like the scalpotatoes, except it's done correctly. If
I've got no other way of saying it, Like, no,
this is definitely by or you know, fresh and of
course and it's anyways, food is our love language on
(32:18):
the Two Suns Tasty Show, so it is. It is
definitely something that's really cool. But twelve people in a
small space murder mystery that sounds like a lot of fun. Yeah,
or even doing a red carpet, you know, for for everybody.
But well, we can talk offline about that. Now we
want to talk about the emergent theater. Let's talk about
(32:40):
the behind the scenes and now that how the show
is actually created. Because there's got to be a lot
of intent behind what you guys do, especially to make
it seem unscripted and make sure that you keep the
actors adaptive. That is that a good word?
Speaker 9 (33:01):
I think?
Speaker 4 (33:02):
So, yeah, that makes sense to me.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
So how do you how do you how do the
actors interact with the audience in ancript unscripted or live performance.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
So it all comes down to character work. The more
you know about your character, the easier it is to
interact with the audience. So the more backstory you can
make about each character that you're performing. And of course
each actor we train them in a way. They go
through a lot of training to be able to interact
(33:32):
with the audience and be able to answer questions on
the fly. Some questions are very off the wall, so
you have to be prepared so well. We have wonderful
actors in our Phoenix Troup that are capable of improving
with the audience. And it also makes it so much
easier when you have a good suspect audience member that's
(33:56):
able to play and have fun. So that makes our
job easier to absolutely.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
And then what's the training process look like for the
immersive performers? Is there a timeline. Is there certain like
criteria or performance thresholds that you want to get to.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
Yeah, So actors audition for me will probably have auditions
next month, and once they audition, they go through callbacks
and then we do about two weeks of training and
it's to get accustomed to the investigation time of interacting
with the audience and be able to answer those questions.
(34:37):
We give them prompt questions to be able to get
used to answering there. There is also fun, a bit
of a I want to say, repetitious of what the
audience will ask. So there is preparedness. We know, you
know what to expect from the audience, but they catch
(34:59):
soft guard sometimes, so it's be able to keep your
cool and be able to answer that. So and also
we have regular rehearsals every week just to keep fresh
and doing shows weekly also keeps me fresh too. It's
basically just doing improv every night.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
That's fun, absolutely, and you know that's in your national
But you know, how can how can American Immersion theaters
theater shows and Tucson and national. You just go to
the website and you click on it's a free estimate.
(35:39):
It looks like right and that's Murder mysteryco dot com
as well.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
That don't work too.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
And then you can plan your party or find tickets.
So you guys, can you sell tickets to some of
the events.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
Oh yes, we have a public event where we sell
tickets on event bright and we're actually working with event
bright on a few venues. We go to ma Giano's
in Las Vegas and they work with us through event
bright sell tickets. But also if any restaurants want to
have their own what we call private ticketed sales, so
(36:20):
they can offer tickets to their customers and have them
come to the restaurant. It's really good for promoting the restaurant.
I actually had the opportunity last year to go to
Trinidad and Tobago and do two shows for a restaurant
owner who wanted to promote his business. So he hired
us to do a murder mystery and then you know,
(36:42):
he gets to promote his It was a brewing company,
so he gets to promote all of his you know, beers,
ciders and his food and also have entertainment there.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
That is that's that is really cool. And then so
you can that I mean, there's just so many different
levels that we can go to with that, and that's
really exciting and definitely everybody needs to go check out
Murder Mysteryco dot com or American Immersion Theater dot com
(37:16):
and check it out or google it as well. So
you got to share with us on the last couple
of minutes here, we've got about five minutes left. But
the funniest or most surprising improv moment from a past show.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Oh man, So my actors whenever we have a show
in Sun City, Sun City, West, I can only imagine
our clientele there. It's older, they're retired, and I swear
every single time we're there they want us to join
(37:53):
them for a swinger's night. The actors okay, yes, and
they are the wildest bunge of any audience I've had.
And we've had a couple circumstances where like, yeah, we're
having a pineappley if you know what that means, and
(38:15):
they want how the actors join them after. So we've
had a couple instances of that.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
What about the funniest moment instead of the awkward the
most awkward moment.
Speaker 4 (38:26):
So for me personally, I got to do a cool show.
It was kind of during the pandemic, so Arizona was
in charge of some shows in California. I got to
do a show in Malibu and the Prince of Germany
was at this show. The actual princes, Prince Ferdinand was there,
(38:47):
and I made him a suspect that dies and I'm
explaining to this prince how he's gonna die, and he
went all into it. He was so excited and I'm like,
so sorry you have to die tonight. Say oh, it's
so gay, that's so good it happens. And when he died,
he flipped over in his chair and everyone rushed towards
(39:09):
him because it's like the Prince of Germany on the ground.
So that was a memorable moment for me that even
the Prince of Germany can get involved in and love
being killed in our shows.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
No one is above play, right, right, And that's a
that's a key because that keeps that it keeps your
mind sharp and young. So and that's why I think
you're probably very popular with the Sun City crowd for sure.
Do you do any like retirement homes or assisted living?
Speaker 4 (39:40):
I bet absolutely.
Speaker 8 (39:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
We have no age limit, you know, we do kids
shows and any any age you want us. We even
have a non murder mystery, So if you don't want
to murder in your show, we have a diamond heist,
which is, you know, try to find the criminal, the thief.
So if you want something a little bit more g rated,
you can look at all the.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Lights flip off and then all of a sudden the
jewels are missay. I can definitely see that, and then
what else do you want to tell the guests are
the listeners.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
I really like that you mentioned the ability for adults
to play, because that's basically why we do it, is
to have that suspension of disbelief for a couple hours
and just forget about reality and just have that moment
where we play and interact with people that we would
not have met prior to sometimes and it's just a
(40:41):
good time. And yeah, it's the best job in the
world and it's one of the best memories that you'll
you'll have is haveing a murder mystery in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
And definitely stress relieving because when you get into the
play mindset, you kind of you have that momentary escape
and it's a healthy way to escape. So definitely check
it out. Would you want to be a part of
a live interactive show. Let us know at the tastyshow
dot com or would you rather play a detective, a
(41:16):
villain or an innocent bystander. Coming up, we'll actually get
to speak to the food and beverage of the Renaissance Fair.
So stay tuned and we'll be back right after the
short break. Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors,
and as always, stay tasty Tucson. Hello, this is Wesley's
(41:43):
source with the Tucson Tasty Show. With every tasty bite
from Meepremiumbeef dot com, you get premium beef flavor from
the amazing ground beef to the melt in your mouth
Ribbi Steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally aged for more than
twenty one days, giving verra or Ol Premium Beef exceptional
premium beef flavor. Order online at ve premiumbef dot Com. Again,
(42:06):
that's ve Premiumbeef dot Com. Hi.
Speaker 5 (42:11):
I'm Stephen Kodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project. Here
in Tucson, no family should have to choose between paying
bills and putting food on the table. That's why we're
here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families in need.
Every single week, but we need your help. Just one
dollar can have a huge impact on a family's nutrition
and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can make sure
(42:31):
every child in our community has access to nourishing food
and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot org to
learn more and to make your donation today. Together, we're
not just helping families, We're building a stronger Tuson.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
Hey, Tucson, Ready to spice up your dining experience? Join
the Tucson Tasty Show Supporter membership and unlock exclusive access
to secret menu items from our partner restaurants. These one
of a kind dishes aren't just regular menu items crafted
just for our members. It's your backstage pass to Tucson's
best kept culinary secrets. Sign up today at the Tastyshow
(43:06):
dot com and discover what you've been missing. Stay Tasty. Tucson.
Speaker 6 (43:11):
Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing and
metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give back
a Tucson. We're meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
(43:34):
for your next gathering or your workshop. Visits Sparkproject Collective
dot com to learn more and discover where creativity and
connection meet.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Welcome back to the Tucson Tasty Show, brought to you
by Sokka, the Southern Arizona Art and Cultural alliance dedicated
to creating, preserving, and advancing the arts. I'm your host
and this is the Tucson Tasty Show. We have quite
the guest for you. You could say that he's royalty,
but he is definitely in charge of all the food
(44:10):
and beverage at the air in Arizona Renaissance Festival. Please welcome Eli,
the Food and Beverage Director. How are you doing today, Eli?
Speaker 9 (44:18):
Doing great? Good day to you, Wesley. I'm very happy
that we're doing this interview. We have a great event
to talk.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
About, absolutely, and we're all about the food here on
the Tucson Tasty Show, and we're super excited to be
able to get some tickets out to our listeners. And
all they have to do is go to the Tastyshow
dot com sign up for the membership and they're entered
for a chance to win family pack that includes two
adult tickets, two children tickets, and a VIP parking pass.
(44:47):
If you don't need the kid tickets, we will make
arrangements to get you some extra adult tickets so you
can take all your friends up. Isn't that awesome new life?
Speaker 9 (44:56):
It is. It's a great opportunity for a lot of
people to come out and enjoy a day or two
and experience to one for Arizona Renaissance Festival.
Speaker 8 (45:02):
We're very happy to be on your show.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
Yes, thank you very much for supporting and getting partnering
with us to give us those tickets. We were very
excited to actually go up to the Renaissance Festival a
couple of weeks ago and we got some We definitely
got some fun pictures. It's always fun going up there
and checking out all the sites, but more importantly the food.
(45:25):
So I've got to ask what are the must try
food items at the Renaissance Festival.
Speaker 9 (45:32):
Well, you know, we can start out with things we have.
The special is direct owners of most of the food
out here, and we have several different private vendors that
are out here so we have some items that are
really really great. Obviously, the big deal here is everybody
wants to roasted turkey lake. It's an item that is
(45:52):
you see a lot of it's at other locations also,
but people come out here and they want to have
a nice turkey leg and wash it down with a beer,
soa depending on your age. Obviously, it's a great item
and we sell a lot of them.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
How many how many would you say that you go
through during the season, because you guys start pretty much
the beginning of February and all the way through the
end of March. That's a lot that's going to be
a lot of turkey legs.
Speaker 9 (46:17):
Yeah, there are a lot of turkey legs. It's pretty
amazing that we're serving this item. It's incredible how popular
it has been and for just decades association of the
turkey legs with Renaissance festivals and we sell about seventy
five thousand pounds of turkey legs in nineteen days. Wow,
(46:38):
it's pretty remarkable. Very it's a great item. You can't
you can't miss it, and people walk around they see
it and they go where did you get that? And
we have several locations here that we actually have that
available sell. I mean, that's Essy Sober fifty thousand turkey
legs that we're selling in that amount of times.
Speaker 8 (47:01):
Yeah, and you know, and that's a general number here.
Speaker 9 (47:04):
It varies how many people come out in the weather
and things like that, but it is quite the item.
And we have several other locations here with food. Some
of the private people here that own the shops, the
Transylvania Treats, it's privately owned. It's a chimney cake that
dates back to the actual time.
Speaker 8 (47:23):
Of the Renaissance.
Speaker 9 (47:24):
It's like taking your funnel cake and it's in the
shape of an actual chimney with different toppings and they
make it right in front of you. It's really a
wonderful item. They've been with us for several seasons here.
It's cooked over hot coals and it's rolled on a
wooden cylinder.
Speaker 8 (47:42):
Just wonderful.
Speaker 9 (47:43):
We have another location called the Old Sausage Shop that's
privately owned also and they serve traditional English style on
trays and handheld items and that's been a staple for
you know, centuries in England.
Speaker 8 (47:55):
Bangers and Nash, Scotch, eggs, Scotts.
Speaker 9 (48:00):
Actually the festival itself is the one that we serve
Scotch eggs to take them. They're made fresh every week.
It's hard boiled egg with us folk sausage rolled into
breadcrumbs and then they're roasted and baked in an oven.
It's a great item. They're wonderful. We have another location
at Spoon with us. We've opened up here. It's our
(48:23):
third season here. It's called La Piazza and it's a
place that people have come to see that wow, this
is a different, different location to go through at Renaissance vestivals.
We make fresh charcoterie boards that are meat or cheese
for vegetarians. We have vegan food there, Italian style meatballs
that are either meat and sausage or vegan items for
(48:46):
the Italian meatballs. It's a great, wonderful place to have
great food that you're not going to get elsewhere in
the festival. And we serve high end wines there for
people that are wine connosaurs are wishing to try really
good wines. We have products that go back centuries Glenn
Mranji Scotch and forge Gin. Even though they are for
(49:09):
the eighteen hundreds when you is still resulten Scotch goes
back centuries and centuries, so it's a really a great thing,
and it's one of the few places around that you
can buy Ruth Creco Brood champagne by the glass and
not a bottle. So people that enjoy those kinds of
things are surprised when they see that the Renaissance Festival.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
We definitely were, and we were very excited to share
that with everybody. And everything's reasonably priced as well, which
is something that we are It's very approachable instead of
being like a county fair. So we definitely appreciate that
I missed the scotch, though, I got to go back.
(49:50):
We've got to go back and check out the spread
of scotch that you have, because the scotch egg and
a scotch sounds really good for some reason.
Speaker 9 (50:00):
And actually you can buy them at the same location
in the Pirates Pirate's Kitchen and Pirates Pub and Cocktail
in right next to one another. That's where you can
buy scotch eggs, and right next door is a pub
and we also have cocktails there and you can buy scotch.
We have a real nice scotch that we can do.
People can come over and get it near on the
rocks if that's what they're wanting to do. It's a
(50:22):
great combination absolutely.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
And speaking of pairings, you know what kind of meads,
ales and medieval style drinks are available.
Speaker 8 (50:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (50:32):
Well, one of the things that we have we have
two different types of meat here. We're proud to serve
both of them. We have Troucer's meat, which is made
with from available through Bargederal Wineries in California. We have
any honey meat and a raspberry meat. And then we
serve more of an upper end meat from Redstone Meatery
(50:53):
out of Colorado and their reward when we do a
traditional with them, and also black raspberry. It's a real
wonderful product. We also serve a multitude of beer. It's
a lot of craft breweries are represented here.
Speaker 8 (51:11):
And one of the things.
Speaker 9 (51:12):
That we started this year, I should actually back up
a little bit. For several years now, we've had an
event on our fifth weekend. It's called Brewfest and it
runs from noon to four on Saturday and Sunday, March
first and March second, And this gives people an opportunity
and they come in the gate. It's right next to
the Feast Hall in our village, Green and they can
(51:36):
experience seven flights of different beers and our meat and
people come in for that. And this is the first
year we've had through a collaboration with a local meeting
in Tempe.
Speaker 8 (51:51):
It's called the Shop.
Speaker 9 (51:53):
We started this meeting last year at Brufest and this
year it came to Fruition and we have an ale.
It's a wonderful citrusy.
Speaker 8 (52:01):
Ale has become very popular.
Speaker 9 (52:03):
It's called Jousting Wizards and it's proprietary to the Renaissance
Festival only and at the tavern at the Shop.
Speaker 8 (52:10):
It's a great thing. It's selling really well. People love it.
Speaker 9 (52:13):
It's refreshing, so that's a nice thing to have a
Renaissance there where it's made just for us.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Absolutely, that's a must have. I'm sure if you're of
age and you have lots of non alcoholic medieval style
beverages as well for the guests, what are.
Speaker 8 (52:32):
Some of those.
Speaker 9 (52:33):
Well, you know, we we do serve a non alcoholic
beer and it is truly non alcoholic.
Speaker 8 (52:39):
We have different.
Speaker 9 (52:41):
Smoothies available, we have pepsi products out here. Obviously we
serve water just to have those kinds of things. But
things that are going back that would be water, and
our water is it's actually safe. You know, back in
the old days you kind of wondered if what you're
drinking from water was something you really wanted to be
able to drink or not.
Speaker 2 (53:02):
Well, that's why they had the meat. They put the
meat in the water to make it safe.
Speaker 9 (53:05):
Right there you go, there you go, let's keep it
safe and put a little alcohol in it.
Speaker 8 (53:11):
So those are the type of things we have available.
And we have.
Speaker 9 (53:14):
A business out here, privately owned called a Cappuccino in
and they prepare Italian SODA's fresh for you. They have
everything coffee, teas. So that's the other location here at festival.
They have three different locations where you can purchase those drinks.
Speaker 8 (53:32):
That are a great outfit. They've been with us for
a very long time.
Speaker 2 (53:36):
So we have about two minutes left on I definitely
want to make sure that we touch on the Pleasure
Feast and so can can or do guests have the
opportunity to dine like nobility at a themed feast orrinquid.
Speaker 8 (53:52):
Yeah, sure, the Pleasure Face.
Speaker 9 (53:55):
This event is in its own location. It's an event
within the event, and this is a reservation only, sit
down event.
Speaker 8 (54:03):
It showcases the.
Speaker 9 (54:04):
Talents of the Royal family chef and cooks. We provide
a five course from scratch cooking culinary experience as well
as the talent that performs throughout the festival that they.
Speaker 8 (54:17):
Come in during the hour and a half time. Seats
one hundred people.
Speaker 9 (54:21):
Once again, like I said, it's reservation only and a
lot of those opportunities are sold out already. We do
two feasts a day and it's a good thing to
go online and you can find online the Pleasure Feast
and purchase tickets via there. The menu varies from season
to season. We're doing this for a.
Speaker 8 (54:38):
Very long time. It's been sold out.
Speaker 9 (54:40):
Every year and we do incorporate old world foods there.
We go around different regions in the world and use
what items.
Speaker 8 (54:51):
Were available to people, and a lot of.
Speaker 9 (54:54):
It is done with the consideration of what was it
like back in the old days, and obviously food was
prepared differently. They're what spices and c cities we are
available then were so few, and we have some liberties
that we take to enhance you know, what the taste are,
but we try to say, is you take an consideration
the location of the food, what is indigenous food wise
(55:17):
to those locations and we stay true to that. But
that's a wonderful experience to have. It's a sit down
and a participatory with the We have a two people
that MC and host it.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
And they're quite the characters. And thank you so much
for joining us today on the Tucson Tasty Show. We'll
have to have you back on as stay Tasty Tucson. Hello,
(55:50):
this is Wesley's source with the Tucson Tasty Show. With
every Tasty bite from v E Premiumbeef dot Com, you
get premium beef flavored from the amazing ground beef, the
melt in your mouth Ribi steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally
aged for more than twenty one days, giving verra or
Ol Premium Beef exceptional premium beef flavor. Order online at
(56:11):
VE Premiumbeef dot Com. Again, that's VE Premiumbef dot Com. Hi.
Speaker 5 (56:18):
I'm Stephen Coodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project. Here
in Tucson, no family should have to choose between paying
bills and putting food on the table. That's why we're
here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families in
need every single week. But we need your help. Just
one dollar can have a huge impact on a family's
nutrition and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can make
sure every child in our community has access to nourishing
(56:42):
food and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot org
to learn more and to make your donation today. Together,
we're not just helping families, We're building a stronger tuson
Ey Tucson.
Speaker 2 (56:52):
Ready to spice up your dining experience, Join the Tucson
Tasty Show Supporter membership and unlock exclusive access to secret
menu items from our partner restaurants. These one of a
kind dishes aren't just regular menu items crafted just for
our members. It's your backstage pass to Tucson's best kept
culinary secrets. Sign up today at the Tastyshow dot com
(57:15):
and discover what you've been missing. Stay Tasty.
Speaker 6 (57:17):
Tucson Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing
and metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give
back a Tucson for meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
(57:38):
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
for your next gathering or even workshop. Visits Sparkproject Collective
dot com to learn more and discover where creativity and
connection meet
Amids the ancient rooms of a forgotten civilization, a mysterious temple.
Paul states with an otherworldly energy, the guardian of this
taste Define Sanctuary moves forward, a figure shrouded in enigma,
in power.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
He doesn't just taste food, he summons.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Forgotten flavors and awakens dormant passions. Behold the Wizard of Food,
Wesley Source in the Tucson Tasty Show.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Welcome to the Tucson Tasty Show. I'm your host, Wesley Source,
and we're diving into something a little different, a world
where food meets live entertainment and you become a part
of the action. Imagine sitting down for a dinner and
suddenly you're a part of the minner of a murder mystery,
a comedy skit, or an interactive theater experience. That That's
(01:03):
exactly what American Emersion Theater specializes in. They create immersion
shows where the audience isn't just watching, they're the story. Today,
we have a special guest from American Immersion Theater, Jenna,
who is a director who will give us a behind
the scene look at how these events transform meals into
(01:27):
theatrical adventures. Before we jump in I want to take
a moment and thank our amazing sponsors. That's Veraoral Premium,
Beef Local First Arizona, Tucson Family Food Project, Soka, and
Pertillo's hot Dogs. We couldn't bring you the Tucson Tasty
Show without them. And if you are, if you are
a food lover, don't forget to visit the Tucsontastyshow dot com.
(01:52):
I'm sorry, that's the Tastyshow dot com and that's where
you'll find an exclusive foody content and past episodes and
our Tasty Show membership program members unlock secret menu items,
VIP dinner experiences, and even surprise restaurant gift cards. Sign
up now at the Tastyshow dot com. And all right,
(02:18):
let's get into it, and I'm excited to introduce today
a guest from our guest from American Immersion Theater. Welcome
to the Tucson Tasty Show.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Jenna, Hello, thank you so much for having me, wes Lee.
And that was a perfect introduction of exactly what we
do with the Murder Mystery Company. So very good job.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And so what is the Immersion Theater and what makes
it unique?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
So American Immersion Theater is an immersive style a theater experience.
So Murder Mystery Company is our bread and butter. It's
interactive Murder Mystery Dinner theater shows exactly what you described.
But we also have the Prince's Party Company. We also
have what's called Famous for a Day where we will
(03:06):
literally act like paparazzi for your event. So those are
all interactive, immersive experiences that.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Terrifying, Actually paparazzi for the event.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
No, it depends on the person.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And you said a princess.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Yes, we have the Prince's Party Company. I know it's
weird having the Murder Mystery Company and the Princess Party.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Now that makes sense if anybody seemed Disney, I mean
that really does make sense, right.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah right, the parents always die, so yeah, it goes
hand in hand. Yeah. So I'm also a princess as well,
so we offer princesses for birthday parties or even I've
done a ribbon cutting event as a princess.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So any what kind of a business, just any business.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
It was a grand opening for a dentist office and
they wanted a princess there.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That's awesome. I love it. And then and then so
you do Murder Mysteries Princess and then Paparazzi free day
before we get too far. How can people get a
hold of you guys?
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Very easy. If you google the Murder Mystery Company, we
are probably the first one to pop up on there. Also,
if you look up the American Immersion Theater, they're one
and the same. American Immersion Theater is our umbrella company,
and the Murder Mystery Company, of course, is a part
of that. So if you look up either or you'll
be able to find us and you'll have one of
(04:33):
our consultants take care of any questions that you have
and help book your event. They'll walk you through everything.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So when you're creating these and you have scripts and
you guys plan and you prepare, which is awesome because
then you have somebody guiding the conversation right and the
murder Mystery which was really great when we went through
the experience at the Arizona Sans Club, because I think
I want off script maybe once or twice just by accident,
(05:02):
you know, nothing on or purpose or anything. But it
was go read out loud what you're supposed to be doing,
and it's like, oh, okay, I get it now. But
it was a lot of fun and it definitely added
an element of collaboration in the room that you don't
typically get with you know, grouped dinner setting, right, and
(05:25):
that's kind of what you're going for, right.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, absolutely, that's the immersive style. We want the audience
to be an integral part of our shows, so we
incorporate them into the world and when they can get
into character, all the better. So you did exactly what
you're supposed to do. Yeah, it's what we call scripted
and also improv so it's a little bit of bolth.
(05:48):
So yes, scripts are what we follow the actors and
we have to stay true to the clues of the story,
but also improv comes from you never know what the
audience get is, so we have to be prepared for that.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
My favorite line was I don't know, uh.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Yeah, the code words, the code words, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
And yeah, but I think we all had a lot
of fun that night. And and anybody can hire, so
you go into any restaurant that's willing to host, which
is really cool because I think it's a unique interactive experience.
Dining that is is becoming very popular, especially you know
(06:31):
with you know, just trying to get the the family
out of the house or friends or you know, you know,
large groups, which is really cool. Yeah, so how do
the productions transform the meal into the entertainment experience? As
far as you know it's are are the meals interrupted?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Right?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Because that's the biggest thing. You're out, you're you're at
an expensive dinner and then you're doing this as well.
Talk us through that process.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
So so we're used to working with restaurants and even
at home when they have a meal prepared. So that's
part of how the script is laid out. So we're
used to working with the staff and the restaurant. Our
public show, our public event we have is at the
old Spaetty Factory in Phoenix, where we'll work with the
(07:20):
staff and coordinate dinner service. So we use that in
any restaurant that we perform at. And you know what
you saw our show. It's broken down into sections, so
you have several acts and then you have a couple
times for investigation time, which allows us to coordinate food
(07:41):
during that time. So we're used to it. You know
what's also great about our company a post from other
murder mystery companies, is because we don't provide the food.
We can have more flexibility with other restaurants that we
can perform anywhere. Basically, we come to you and we'll
(08:06):
bring the murder to you.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Do you ever work with any caterers or go into
like a theater and you have the but you have
a working relationship.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
With the We don't, And I know there's a reason
for it, just for the flexibility of not having, you know,
to deal with the caters on that side. But we're
understood definitely used to interacting with the restaurant and coordinating
every that for the client.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
So I've got to circle back to the famous for
a day. You've got to explain that a little bit
more to me because I just don't understand somebody that
would want to book that. But that's okay, that's what
I want to learn, right, So what would you say
to I mean, what would you say to that type
of an event.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
So a couple, we do a lot of sweet sixteen,
so they want a big birthday party. So everyone comes
down on the red car and they want to feel special.
They have the photographers, you know, flashing photos. There's you know,
two to four actors acting as paparazzi, there's someone asking
me questions, and it's for a couple hours to make
(09:15):
you feel like the Hollywood experience, like you're on the
red carpet, make you feel special. I think it's next
week we have one where we're doing it's a corporate
event and I believe someone was retiring, so we want
to give extra love to the person who's retiring.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
So it's a really cool concept. Yeah, it's that is
really cool. And then what about the the princess? So
you said the princess party and you can do everything
from a ribbon cutting to birthday parties. Do you what
are you seeing in the culinary scene as far as
(09:55):
you need wanting that interaction or that extra level of
celebrity in the room if you will.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Oh well, I haven't thought about that, but I mean
definitely if you want a princess at your restaurant, like
I'm game for that, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Okay, all right, it's coming up with ideas. There you go,
new marketing strategy brought to you by the Tuscan Tasi show.
Just tag that there. And then of course the bread
and butter is the mystery or murder mystery, right, and uh,
and we really want to you know, kind of dive
into that and a little bit more because you know,
(10:29):
what is murder mystery? Uh, there's a lot of younger, younger,
the younger generation that don't understand what that is. But
so we've got about two minutes left in this segment
or in the first segment here, but let's talk about
the murder mystery and then we'll pick up on the
other other side of the break.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Okay, go ahead, So murder mystery? What is murder mystery?
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah? What what is murder mystery?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Mystery?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Is it like the onion of the glass onion? The
glass onions. That's always what I always kind of compared
it to. And it's kind of the atmosphere that you
get as well.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
It's funny. I just I just watched that movie the
other days. I love Daniel Craig. So it talks about
motive and opportunity. I'm like, oh my gosh, that's exactly
what we do in the show. We talk about motive
and opportunity. So murder mystery, you have a collective of
suspicious people who are suspects who may or may not
have anyone could have done it. Probably the butler. But
(11:30):
I don't know, maybe not. I was innocent, Yeah, the butler,
So they may or may not have motive, an opportunity
and shocker, there's a murder that has to happen yet yep.
And of course you have a team of detectives, which
is the audience, to help solve their murder.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Fair awesome. Well, we're going to be right back after
this very short break. We'll talk about how food becomes
a part of your immersion theater experience and why this
is one of the most exciting trends in dining. Stay
tuned and stay tasty, Tucson. Hello, this is Wesley's source
(12:18):
with the Tucson Tasty Show. With every tasty bite from
Veepremiumbeef dot Com, you get premiumbefflavor from the amazing ground
beef to the melt in your mouth Ribi steaks. Every
ounce is exceptionally aged for more than twenty one days,
giving vera earl premium beef exceptional premium beef flavor. Order
online at Vepremiumbeef dot Com. Again, that's ve Premiumbeef dot Com.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
Hi. I'm Stephen Kodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project.
Here in Tucson. No family should have to choose between
paying bills and putting food on the table. That's why
we're here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families
in need every single week. But we need your help.
Just one dollar can have a huge impact on a
family's nutrition and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can
(13:05):
make sure every child in our community has access to
nourishing food and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot
org to learn more and to make your donation today. Together,
we're not just helping families, We're building a stronger TUSO.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Hello, this is Wesley's source with the Tucson Tasty Show.
With every tasty bite from Vepremiumbeef dot Com, you get
premiumbefflavor from the amazing ground beef to the melt in
your mouth Ribbi steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally aged for
more than twenty one days, giving vera earl Premium Beef
exceptional premium beef flavor. Order online at VE Premiumbeef dot com. Again,
(13:43):
that's VE premiumbef dot com. Hey, Tucson, Ready to spice
up your dining experience? Join the Tucson Tasty Show Supporter
membership and unlock exclusive access to secret menu items from
our partner restaurants. What kind Dishes aren't just regular menu items,
crafted just for our members. It's your backstage pass to
(14:06):
Tucson's best kept culinary secrets. Sign up today at the
Tastyshow dot com and discover what you've been missing. Stay
tasty Tucson.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing and
metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give back
to Tucson. We're meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
(14:38):
for your next gathering or your workshop. Visits Sparkproject Collective
dot com to learn more and discover where creativity and
connection meet.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
Welcome to the Tucson Tasty Show, brought to you by
SOKA Southern Arizona Art and Cultural Alliance dedicated to creating, preserving,
and advancing the arts and now it's time for more
Tasty Bites with your host, Wesley Source.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Welcome back to the Tucson Tasty Show, brought to you
by SOCCA, the Southern Arizona Art and Cultural Alliance. SOCCA
is dedicated to grading, preserving and advancing the arts. I'm
your host, Wesley Source, and this is the Tucson Tasty Show.
We have a special guest today in studio. It's a
Murder Mystery Dinners and it's one of a kind dining
(15:28):
experience where you become the table becomes the stage for
the live theater. And we have Jenna here in the studio.
Thank you for being down here. It's a long drive
because you're up in Phoenix.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
We really appreciate you coming down to Tucson. Hopefully you
have some other things that you can hit up on
the way out of town. But we're really excited to
have you today.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Thanks for having me. I'm used to driving, so it's
all good.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Speaking of which, you cover your true which for everyone
out or out in the world, the or theater group.
You cover everywhere from Nevada, Southern California, New Mexico and
Intel Passo.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Right, yeah, so our grounds we travel all over Arizona,
and we go to Vegas probably once a week. I'll
be going there on Friday for a show New Mexico,
El Paso. But if you don't live in that area,
we have twenty five troops across the country, so wherever
you are, we can come and kill for you.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
And how many people are in your group? Because you
can do multiple shows in a day. You were talking
about doing twelve this week, which is awesome. How many
people do you have that you collaborate with.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
I have forty actors in the Phoenix Troup and yeah,
so we have about twelve shows this week and our
busy season. December, I did twenty shows in two.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Days, twenties shows in two days.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
It was a chaotic week, but it was great.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Fair enough. That sounds like my week sometimes. So yeah, no,
definitely awesome. So let's jump back into it. Let's talk.
Let's finish up talking about the murder Mystery dinner. Can
we go through one of the scenarios and talk about
I think the Roaring thirties would be is the one
that we were at, the Roaring thirties, the Roaring twenties.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
The golden age of Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You're okay and that's the thirties. That was not such
a great time.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Not really, No, the twenties and thirties really weren't a
great time, but they're great for murder mysteries.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yes, fair enough. And so it was the nineteen thirties
themed and I'll let you take it.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
So it's bestly plans. Is our show set in the
nineteen thirties. It's the golden age of Hollywood, and you're
at somewhat of a movie premiere. Back in the day,
they used to have big celebrations of when a movie
was about to be made. So you're at this pre
opening of this movie called The Loneliest Butterfly, produced by
(18:13):
Sir warn Piece. No one has seen Sir warn Peace
in person. He's very reclusive, he's very Howard Hughes, and
you have these Hollywood elite that come to his home.
And he only invited the people his worst enemies to
his home, people that want to kill him, right because
(18:35):
he wants to die.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
That's yes, I remember that, and it was very odd.
I was like, well, I mean, there's not not going
to be And then there was some twists and turns
as well, which was really cool. We always with a
or mystery. You always liked those twists and turns, right,
plot twists and can we speak to any of those?
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Sure? So in the end, there there's several double identities,
so some people who may or may not be who
they claimed to be, and it's not revealed until the
end of the show. So I think there's several identity
(19:16):
swap set. I don't want to give a good away
too much, but yeah, there's definitely instances where you won't
predict what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Fair, No, you don't, and we were surprised by a
few of them. In fact, I was the butler. Now
I was not originally selected as the butler. Oddly enough,
the person that was at the end my table was
and he was he forgot his reading glasses. He was like, hey,
why don't you just take it? Yes, and I was like, sure,
(19:46):
let's do that. I was really, yeah, it doesn't it
was but it was a lot of fun, is what
it turned out to be. And it was really cool
to kind of be have that role and be a
part of it. And I got Best Actor, So you know,
that's something. I don't know if it's something big or not,
(20:06):
but do you guys, you do you do awards for
the team that won, and my team also won, not
because of me, but because of my counterpart, Producer Tina solved.
She solved everything that's hard. Our group was like it's
this or this and this, and then she was like, no,
(20:27):
I think it's and she wrote it out in great
detail and we won, and it was like the opposite
of the whole group is that's what producer Tina does.
But she's usually right. So but yes, and the hats
were fun, but you've got to get some extra large
(20:51):
hats because I was it was like wearing a a
toy hat have for lack of.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Better terms, I've gotten that before, so it's not just you.
It's okay.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So there's some big heads out there and it's the
big brain that goes with it. So but it was.
It was really interesting because you know the role of
the butler was I was in charge of the wait
staff and in charge of making sure that everybody had
everything that they needed. I took my job very seriously
and I worked the room to make sure that everybody
(21:25):
had stuff. Somebody asked for sasparilla, so we got them
as sasparrella and there was actually a couple of those,
and we're friends with the servers at the Arizona Sands
Club because it's it's a social networking club and so
it's you go in there and you do business and
(21:45):
you just get to know the staff very very quickly,
and they're really attentive to what you like and what
you don't like. And it was really cool because then
you know, I'm there and I'm the Tucson Tasty Show
and they're like, oh great, he's the butler. But they
were incredible and they had a lot of fun as well.
And that was the other thing that I saw that
(22:08):
really kind of made or made made you guys stand
out because you took care of the staff very well
and you were very respectful of the staff, and it
can go very lots of different directions, right, Uh, So
we were definitely appreciated of our appreciative of that. With
(22:30):
the butler, though there was so many different like every
time there was a page turn, it was like, I'm
the guy, right, but because the butler always does it,
but he didn't do it. Yeah, thankfully, Yeah, maybe he
did it. I don't know. You have to decide for yourself,
and you can go to American Immersiontheater dot com to
(22:50):
find out that's how you book him, and I'm actually
looking at the website right now. You also have an
atmosphere atmospheric I can speak, I promise atmospheric entertainment. Can
you tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker 8 (23:05):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
So the atmospheric part is what it sounds like. So
if you have an event where you don't want people
to get super involved, they're just kind of there for looks,
we add atmosphere to it, which it's kind of a
new thing that we're adding to the company. One of
the atmospheric things that I did, it was kind of
(23:30):
like a Dungeons and Dragon and we a client booked
us and they wanted to do this scavenger hunt basically
through their house like Dungeons and Dragons, and we would
guide them through the different we would give them different
clues and riddles to solve. So that was kind of
(23:51):
the atmospheric event that I did. We do have other
ones where the La Troop does a lot promote vading
new films coming out, So when they have a premiere
and they'll do an atmospheric event, it might be something
from our shows or something completely different, you know, whatever,
the client needs will make it work.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
That's really cool. That's fun. And you can so you
can be as interactive as you want to be, but
you can just have somebody in the room to have
a conversation and a character larger than life. That's really cool.
And you're you said that you're getting more and more
requests for that. I can imagine that. You know, having
those those plants at a party would be fun, just
(24:35):
to have you know that who is that person? You
know who knows them?
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I was like, who's a weird friend of so and so?
Like they it's always fun when people get to a
party and you know, they meet these big characters, like
who invited this person? They don't expect a murder mystery.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
It's almost like you're having somebody crash your own party.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Yeah, exactly, that's a good way.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
To I actually I really like that idea.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
And yeah, I think we actually did like a wedding
crasher show before. I think that was part of like
the atmospheric that we actually had actors that were like
part of wedding crashers and it was all planned by
like the bride and groom, right, but the guests had
no idea.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
I'm Uncle Joe's kid, right really Okay? Cool? Yeah, that
would be.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Last.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
So we have about a minute and a half left.
But I do have a question. So with the with
the restaurants and chefs do you work with do they
work with the actors to curate a menu to create
that perfect setting and really you know, kind of dive
into like this is a thirties themed party, so we
(25:51):
want to make sure that we're having those those types
of drinks and food.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Yeah, definitely, we do have a set menu that are
even team our crime scene consultants can give to our
client and they can have like their different murder theme
cocktails I've seen. Yeah, and also they can definitely help
coordinate the food timing and what would work best for
the show. Yeah, definitely the style, the theme of the show,
(26:18):
whatever entree, appetizers you feel would work. So they can
definitely walk you through that.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Were those curated by a chef or were they just
like the really cool dishes that you pulled in Did
you work with somebody?
Speaker 4 (26:33):
I would say it was curated by the chef at
their restaurant.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Awesome, So we're going to we're gonna go on a
quick break. We'll be right back. What are up next?
We're going to go behind the curtain and see how
the live shows are brought to life. Don't go anywhere
and definitely go to the Tastyshow dot com and check
out our membership program. It's where you can get all
(26:58):
the secret menu items to the top restaurants in town.
Stay Tasty Tucson. Hello, this is Wesley's source with the
Tucson Tasty Show. With every tasty bite from veeperimiumbef dot com,
(27:21):
you get premiumbefflavor from the amazing ground beef to the
melt in your mouth Ribbi steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally
aged for more than twenty one days, giving Verra Earl
Premium Beef exceptional premium beef flavor. Order online at vepremiumbef
dot com. Again, that's ve Premiumbeef dot Com. Hi.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
I'm Stephen Kodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project. Here
in Tucson, no family should have to choose between paying
bills and putting food on the table. That's why we're
here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families in
need every single week. But we need your help. Just
one dollar can have a huge impact on a face,
family's nutrition and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can
make sure every child in our community has access to
(28:06):
nourishing food and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot
org to learn more and to make your donation today. Together,
we're not just helping families, We're building a stronger Tuson.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Hey, Tucson, Ready to spice up your dining experience? Join
the Tucson Tasty Show Supporter membership and unlock exclusive access
to secret menu items from our partner restaurants. These one
of a kind dishes aren't just regular menu items crafted
just for our members. It's your backstage pass to Tucson's
best kept culinary secrets. Sign up today at the Tastyshow
(28:39):
dot com and discover what you've been missing. Stay Tasty. Tucson.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing and
metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give back
a Tucson. We're meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
(29:06):
for your next gathering or your workshop. Visits Spark Project
Collective dot com to learn more and discover where creativity
and connection meet.
Speaker 7 (29:21):
Welcome to the Tucson Tasties Show, brought to you by SOCCA,
Southern Arizona Art and Cultural Alliance dedicated to creating, preserving,
and advancing the arts. And now it's time for more
tasty bites with your host, Wesley Source.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Welcome back to the Tucson Tasty Show. The Tucson Tasty
Show is brought to you by SOCCA, the Southern Arizona
Art and Cultural Alliance dedicated to creating, preserving and advancing
the arts. I'm your host, Wesley Source, and this is
the Tucson Tasty Show. A huge thank you to all
of our amazing sponsor who helped help make the show possible.
That's Viral Premium Beef, Tucson Family Food, Local First Arizona,
(30:01):
Portillo's hot Dogs, and of course Soka. Before we dive in,
don't forget to check out the Tastieshow dot com. That's
where you can listen to all the past episodes, discover
exclusive content, and best of all, join the Taste the
Tucson Tasty Show membership program. Members un lock secret menu
items at Tucson's top restaurant, scoring exclusive rewards, and even
(30:21):
getting surprise restaurant gift cards. If you love food, this
is for you. Go to the Tastyshow dot com and
sign up today. You'll also get a discount on our
upcoming dinner with Chef Yanos Janos Wilder. And it's at
Studio Yanos. There's only twelve seats available and the menu
(30:45):
that he's going to be preparing for us is the
Yanos Favorites. And let me tell you, this is a
tour of the ages and just next level tasty food.
If you know who Chefianos Wilder is, He's a James
Beard Award winning chef and we're really looking forward to
(31:05):
having this dinner with him. And that's gonna be April sixteenth.
Maybe we should add a level of mystery to the evening.
It is going to be for a TV episode though,
So I don't know, Janna, what do you think.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
Mystery on TV?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
It it'd be like, yeah, cool. Maybe we can coordinate
that and see what we can do. But the the
menu is incredible. I mean he has literally everything that
you could ever want, including the perfect potato dish, which
is actually a French dish and he described it on
the show a couple of weeks ago, and I think
(31:45):
I asked him. I was like, why don't we just,
you know, forget the brest of the show. Let's just
go make that and do a video with that, and
then we'll eat that together and come back.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
What's the perfect potato?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I would have to pull it up to give you.
It's almost like the scalpotatoes, except it's done correctly. If
I've got no other way of saying it, Like, no,
this is definitely by or you know, fresh and of
course and it's anyways, food is our love language on
(32:18):
the Two Suns Tasty Show, so it is. It is
definitely something that's really cool. But twelve people in a
small space murder mystery that sounds like a lot of fun. Yeah,
or even doing a red carpet, you know, for for everybody.
But well, we can talk offline about that. Now we
want to talk about the emergent theater. Let's talk about
(32:40):
the behind the scenes and now that how the show
is actually created. Because there's got to be a lot
of intent behind what you guys do, especially to make
it seem unscripted and make sure that you keep the
actors adaptive. That is that a good word?
Speaker 9 (33:01):
I think?
Speaker 4 (33:02):
So, yeah, that makes sense to me.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
So how do you how do you how do the
actors interact with the audience in ancript unscripted or live performance.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
So it all comes down to character work. The more
you know about your character, the easier it is to
interact with the audience. So the more backstory you can
make about each character that you're performing. And of course
each actor we train them in a way. They go
through a lot of training to be able to interact
(33:32):
with the audience and be able to answer questions on
the fly. Some questions are very off the wall, so
you have to be prepared so well. We have wonderful
actors in our Phoenix Troup that are capable of improving
with the audience. And it also makes it so much
easier when you have a good suspect audience member that's
(33:56):
able to play and have fun. So that makes our
job easier to absolutely.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
And then what's the training process look like for the
immersive performers? Is there a timeline. Is there certain like
criteria or performance thresholds that you want to get to.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
Yeah, So actors audition for me will probably have auditions
next month, and once they audition, they go through callbacks
and then we do about two weeks of training and
it's to get accustomed to the investigation time of interacting
with the audience and be able to answer those questions.
(34:37):
We give them prompt questions to be able to get
used to answering there. There is also fun, a bit
of a I want to say, repetitious of what the
audience will ask. So there is preparedness. We know, you
know what to expect from the audience, but they catch
(34:59):
soft guard sometimes, so it's be able to keep your
cool and be able to answer that. So and also
we have regular rehearsals every week just to keep fresh
and doing shows weekly also keeps me fresh too. It's
basically just doing improv every night.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
That's fun, absolutely, and you know that's in your national
But you know, how can how can American Immersion theaters
theater shows and Tucson and national. You just go to
the website and you click on it's a free estimate.
(35:39):
It looks like right and that's Murder mysteryco dot com
as well.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
That don't work too.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
And then you can plan your party or find tickets.
So you guys, can you sell tickets to some of
the events.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
Oh yes, we have a public event where we sell
tickets on event bright and we're actually working with event
bright on a few venues. We go to ma Giano's
in Las Vegas and they work with us through event
bright sell tickets. But also if any restaurants want to
have their own what we call private ticketed sales, so
(36:20):
they can offer tickets to their customers and have them
come to the restaurant. It's really good for promoting the restaurant.
I actually had the opportunity last year to go to
Trinidad and Tobago and do two shows for a restaurant
owner who wanted to promote his business. So he hired
us to do a murder mystery and then you know,
(36:42):
he gets to promote his It was a brewing company,
so he gets to promote all of his you know, beers,
ciders and his food and also have entertainment there.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
That is that's that is really cool. And then so
you can that I mean, there's just so many different
levels that we can go to with that, and that's
really exciting and definitely everybody needs to go check out
Murder Mysteryco dot com or American Immersion Theater dot com
(37:16):
and check it out or google it as well. So
you got to share with us on the last couple
of minutes here, we've got about five minutes left. But
the funniest or most surprising improv moment from a past show.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Oh man, So my actors whenever we have a show
in Sun City, Sun City, West, I can only imagine
our clientele there. It's older, they're retired, and I swear
every single time we're there they want us to join
(37:53):
them for a swinger's night. The actors okay, yes, and
they are the wildest bunge of any audience I've had.
And we've had a couple circumstances where like, yeah, we're
having a pineappley if you know what that means, and
(38:15):
they want how the actors join them after. So we've
had a couple instances of that.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
What about the funniest moment instead of the awkward the
most awkward moment.
Speaker 4 (38:26):
So for me personally, I got to do a cool show.
It was kind of during the pandemic, so Arizona was
in charge of some shows in California. I got to
do a show in Malibu and the Prince of Germany
was at this show. The actual princes, Prince Ferdinand was there,
(38:47):
and I made him a suspect that dies and I'm
explaining to this prince how he's gonna die, and he
went all into it. He was so excited and I'm like,
so sorry you have to die tonight. Say oh, it's
so gay, that's so good it happens. And when he died,
he flipped over in his chair and everyone rushed towards
(39:09):
him because it's like the Prince of Germany on the ground.
So that was a memorable moment for me that even
the Prince of Germany can get involved in and love
being killed in our shows.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
No one is above play, right, right, And that's a
that's a key because that keeps that it keeps your
mind sharp and young. So and that's why I think
you're probably very popular with the Sun City crowd for sure.
Do you do any like retirement homes or assisted living?
Speaker 4 (39:40):
I bet absolutely.
Speaker 8 (39:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
We have no age limit, you know, we do kids
shows and any any age you want us. We even
have a non murder mystery, So if you don't want
to murder in your show, we have a diamond heist,
which is, you know, try to find the criminal, the thief.
So if you want something a little bit more g rated,
you can look at all the.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Lights flip off and then all of a sudden the
jewels are missay. I can definitely see that, and then
what else do you want to tell the guests are
the listeners.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
I really like that you mentioned the ability for adults
to play, because that's basically why we do it, is
to have that suspension of disbelief for a couple hours
and just forget about reality and just have that moment
where we play and interact with people that we would
not have met prior to sometimes and it's just a
(40:41):
good time. And yeah, it's the best job in the
world and it's one of the best memories that you'll
you'll have is haveing a murder mystery in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
And definitely stress relieving because when you get into the
play mindset, you kind of you have that momentary escape
and it's a healthy way to escape. So definitely check
it out. Would you want to be a part of
a live interactive show. Let us know at the tastyshow
dot com or would you rather play a detective, a
(41:16):
villain or an innocent bystander. Coming up, we'll actually get
to speak to the food and beverage of the Renaissance Fair.
So stay tuned and we'll be back right after the
short break. Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors,
and as always, stay tasty Tucson. Hello, this is Wesley's
(41:43):
source with the Tucson Tasty Show. With every tasty bite
from Meepremiumbeef dot com, you get premium beef flavor from
the amazing ground beef to the melt in your mouth
Ribbi Steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally aged for more than
twenty one days, giving verra or Ol Premium Beef exceptional
premium beef flavor. Order online at ve premiumbef dot Com. Again,
(42:06):
that's ve Premiumbeef dot Com. Hi.
Speaker 5 (42:11):
I'm Stephen Kodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project. Here
in Tucson, no family should have to choose between paying
bills and putting food on the table. That's why we're
here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families in need.
Every single week, but we need your help. Just one
dollar can have a huge impact on a family's nutrition
and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can make sure
(42:31):
every child in our community has access to nourishing food
and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot org to
learn more and to make your donation today. Together, we're
not just helping families, We're building a stronger Tuson.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
Hey, Tucson, Ready to spice up your dining experience? Join
the Tucson Tasty Show Supporter membership and unlock exclusive access
to secret menu items from our partner restaurants. These one
of a kind dishes aren't just regular menu items crafted
just for our members. It's your backstage pass to Tucson's
best kept culinary secrets. Sign up today at the Tastyshow
(43:06):
dot com and discover what you've been missing. Stay Tasty. Tucson.
Speaker 6 (43:11):
Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing and
metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give back
a Tucson. We're meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
(43:34):
for your next gathering or your workshop. Visits Sparkproject Collective
dot com to learn more and discover where creativity and
connection meet.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Welcome back to the Tucson Tasty Show, brought to you
by Sokka, the Southern Arizona Art and Cultural alliance dedicated
to creating, preserving, and advancing the arts. I'm your host
and this is the Tucson Tasty Show. We have quite
the guest for you. You could say that he's royalty,
but he is definitely in charge of all the food
(44:10):
and beverage at the air in Arizona Renaissance Festival. Please welcome Eli,
the Food and Beverage Director. How are you doing today, Eli?
Speaker 9 (44:18):
Doing great? Good day to you, Wesley. I'm very happy
that we're doing this interview. We have a great event
to talk.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
About, absolutely, and we're all about the food here on
the Tucson Tasty Show, and we're super excited to be
able to get some tickets out to our listeners. And
all they have to do is go to the Tastyshow
dot com sign up for the membership and they're entered
for a chance to win family pack that includes two
adult tickets, two children tickets, and a VIP parking pass.
(44:47):
If you don't need the kid tickets, we will make
arrangements to get you some extra adult tickets so you
can take all your friends up. Isn't that awesome new life?
Speaker 9 (44:56):
It is. It's a great opportunity for a lot of
people to come out and enjoy a day or two
and experience to one for Arizona Renaissance Festival.
Speaker 8 (45:02):
We're very happy to be on your show.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
Yes, thank you very much for supporting and getting partnering
with us to give us those tickets. We were very
excited to actually go up to the Renaissance Festival a
couple of weeks ago and we got some We definitely
got some fun pictures. It's always fun going up there
and checking out all the sites, but more importantly the food.
(45:25):
So I've got to ask what are the must try
food items at the Renaissance Festival.
Speaker 9 (45:32):
Well, you know, we can start out with things we have.
The special is direct owners of most of the food
out here, and we have several different private vendors that
are out here so we have some items that are
really really great. Obviously, the big deal here is everybody
wants to roasted turkey lake. It's an item that is
(45:52):
you see a lot of it's at other locations also,
but people come out here and they want to have
a nice turkey leg and wash it down with a beer,
soa depending on your age. Obviously, it's a great item
and we sell a lot of them.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
How many how many would you say that you go
through during the season, because you guys start pretty much
the beginning of February and all the way through the
end of March. That's a lot that's going to be
a lot of turkey legs.
Speaker 9 (46:17):
Yeah, there are a lot of turkey legs. It's pretty
amazing that we're serving this item. It's incredible how popular
it has been and for just decades association of the
turkey legs with Renaissance festivals and we sell about seventy
five thousand pounds of turkey legs in nineteen days. Wow,
(46:38):
it's pretty remarkable. Very it's a great item. You can't
you can't miss it, and people walk around they see
it and they go where did you get that? And
we have several locations here that we actually have that
available sell. I mean, that's Essy Sober fifty thousand turkey
legs that we're selling in that amount of times.
Speaker 8 (47:01):
Yeah, and you know, and that's a general number here.
Speaker 9 (47:04):
It varies how many people come out in the weather
and things like that, but it is quite the item.
And we have several other locations here with food. Some
of the private people here that own the shops, the
Transylvania Treats, it's privately owned. It's a chimney cake that
dates back to the actual time.
Speaker 8 (47:23):
Of the Renaissance.
Speaker 9 (47:24):
It's like taking your funnel cake and it's in the
shape of an actual chimney with different toppings and they
make it right in front of you. It's really a
wonderful item. They've been with us for several seasons here.
It's cooked over hot coals and it's rolled on a
wooden cylinder.
Speaker 8 (47:42):
Just wonderful.
Speaker 9 (47:43):
We have another location called the Old Sausage Shop that's
privately owned also and they serve traditional English style on
trays and handheld items and that's been a staple for
you know, centuries in England.
Speaker 8 (47:55):
Bangers and Nash, Scotch, eggs, Scotts.
Speaker 9 (48:00):
Actually the festival itself is the one that we serve
Scotch eggs to take them. They're made fresh every week.
It's hard boiled egg with us folk sausage rolled into
breadcrumbs and then they're roasted and baked in an oven.
It's a great item. They're wonderful. We have another location
at Spoon with us. We've opened up here. It's our
(48:23):
third season here. It's called La Piazza and it's a
place that people have come to see that wow, this
is a different, different location to go through at Renaissance vestivals.
We make fresh charcoterie boards that are meat or cheese
for vegetarians. We have vegan food there, Italian style meatballs
that are either meat and sausage or vegan items for
(48:46):
the Italian meatballs. It's a great, wonderful place to have
great food that you're not going to get elsewhere in
the festival. And we serve high end wines there for
people that are wine connosaurs are wishing to try really
good wines. We have products that go back centuries Glenn
Mranji Scotch and forge Gin. Even though they are for
(49:09):
the eighteen hundreds when you is still resulten Scotch goes
back centuries and centuries, so it's a really a great thing,
and it's one of the few places around that you
can buy Ruth Creco Brood champagne by the glass and
not a bottle. So people that enjoy those kinds of
things are surprised when they see that the Renaissance Festival.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
We definitely were, and we were very excited to share
that with everybody. And everything's reasonably priced as well, which
is something that we are It's very approachable instead of
being like a county fair. So we definitely appreciate that
I missed the scotch, though, I got to go back.
(49:50):
We've got to go back and check out the spread
of scotch that you have, because the scotch egg and
a scotch sounds really good for some reason.
Speaker 9 (50:00):
And actually you can buy them at the same location
in the Pirates Pirate's Kitchen and Pirates Pub and Cocktail
in right next to one another. That's where you can
buy scotch eggs, and right next door is a pub
and we also have cocktails there and you can buy scotch.
We have a real nice scotch that we can do.
People can come over and get it near on the
rocks if that's what they're wanting to do. It's a
(50:22):
great combination absolutely.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
And speaking of pairings, you know what kind of meads,
ales and medieval style drinks are available.
Speaker 8 (50:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (50:32):
Well, one of the things that we have we have
two different types of meat here. We're proud to serve
both of them. We have Troucer's meat, which is made
with from available through Bargederal Wineries in California. We have
any honey meat and a raspberry meat. And then we
serve more of an upper end meat from Redstone Meatery
(50:53):
out of Colorado and their reward when we do a
traditional with them, and also black raspberry. It's a real
wonderful product. We also serve a multitude of beer. It's
a lot of craft breweries are represented here.
Speaker 8 (51:11):
And one of the things.
Speaker 9 (51:12):
That we started this year, I should actually back up
a little bit. For several years now, we've had an
event on our fifth weekend. It's called Brewfest and it
runs from noon to four on Saturday and Sunday, March
first and March second, And this gives people an opportunity
and they come in the gate. It's right next to
the Feast Hall in our village, Green and they can
(51:36):
experience seven flights of different beers and our meat and
people come in for that. And this is the first
year we've had through a collaboration with a local meeting
in Tempe.
Speaker 8 (51:51):
It's called the Shop.
Speaker 9 (51:53):
We started this meeting last year at Brufest and this
year it came to Fruition and we have an ale.
It's a wonderful citrusy.
Speaker 8 (52:01):
Ale has become very popular.
Speaker 9 (52:03):
It's called Jousting Wizards and it's proprietary to the Renaissance
Festival only and at the tavern at the Shop.
Speaker 8 (52:10):
It's a great thing. It's selling really well. People love it.
Speaker 9 (52:13):
It's refreshing, so that's a nice thing to have a
Renaissance there where it's made just for us.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Absolutely, that's a must have. I'm sure if you're of
age and you have lots of non alcoholic medieval style
beverages as well for the guests, what are.
Speaker 8 (52:32):
Some of those.
Speaker 9 (52:33):
Well, you know, we we do serve a non alcoholic
beer and it is truly non alcoholic.
Speaker 8 (52:39):
We have different.
Speaker 9 (52:41):
Smoothies available, we have pepsi products out here. Obviously we
serve water just to have those kinds of things. But
things that are going back that would be water, and
our water is it's actually safe. You know, back in
the old days you kind of wondered if what you're
drinking from water was something you really wanted to be
able to drink or not.
Speaker 2 (53:02):
Well, that's why they had the meat. They put the
meat in the water to make it safe.
Speaker 9 (53:05):
Right there you go, there you go, let's keep it
safe and put a little alcohol in it.
Speaker 8 (53:11):
So those are the type of things we have available.
And we have.
Speaker 9 (53:14):
A business out here, privately owned called a Cappuccino in
and they prepare Italian SODA's fresh for you. They have
everything coffee, teas. So that's the other location here at festival.
They have three different locations where you can purchase those drinks.
Speaker 8 (53:32):
That are a great outfit. They've been with us for
a very long time.
Speaker 2 (53:36):
So we have about two minutes left on I definitely
want to make sure that we touch on the Pleasure
Feast and so can can or do guests have the
opportunity to dine like nobility at a themed feast orrinquid.
Speaker 8 (53:52):
Yeah, sure, the Pleasure Face.
Speaker 9 (53:55):
This event is in its own location. It's an event
within the event, and this is a reservation only, sit
down event.
Speaker 8 (54:03):
It showcases the.
Speaker 9 (54:04):
Talents of the Royal family chef and cooks. We provide
a five course from scratch cooking culinary experience as well
as the talent that performs throughout the festival that they.
Speaker 8 (54:17):
Come in during the hour and a half time. Seats
one hundred people.
Speaker 9 (54:21):
Once again, like I said, it's reservation only and a
lot of those opportunities are sold out already. We do
two feasts a day and it's a good thing to
go online and you can find online the Pleasure Feast
and purchase tickets via there. The menu varies from season
to season. We're doing this for a.
Speaker 8 (54:38):
Very long time. It's been sold out.
Speaker 9 (54:40):
Every year and we do incorporate old world foods there.
We go around different regions in the world and use
what items.
Speaker 8 (54:51):
Were available to people, and a lot of.
Speaker 9 (54:54):
It is done with the consideration of what was it
like back in the old days, and obviously food was
prepared differently. They're what spices and c cities we are
available then were so few, and we have some liberties
that we take to enhance you know, what the taste are,
but we try to say, is you take an consideration
the location of the food, what is indigenous food wise
(55:17):
to those locations and we stay true to that. But
that's a wonderful experience to have. It's a sit down
and a participatory with the We have a two people
that MC and host it.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
And they're quite the characters. And thank you so much
for joining us today on the Tucson Tasty Show. We'll
have to have you back on as stay Tasty Tucson. Hello,
(55:50):
this is Wesley's source with the Tucson Tasty Show. With
every Tasty bite from v E Premiumbeef dot Com, you
get premium beef flavored from the amazing ground beef, the
melt in your mouth Ribi steaks. Every ounce is exceptionally
aged for more than twenty one days, giving verra or
Ol Premium Beef exceptional premium beef flavor. Order online at
(56:11):
VE Premiumbeef dot Com. Again, that's VE Premiumbef dot Com. Hi.
Speaker 5 (56:18):
I'm Stephen Coodoroblis, founder of the Tucson Familyfood Project. Here
in Tucson, no family should have to choose between paying
bills and putting food on the table. That's why we're
here to provide healthy, home cooked meals to families in
need every single week. But we need your help. Just
one dollar can have a huge impact on a family's
nutrition and a child's educational outcome. Together, we can make
sure every child in our community has access to nourishing
(56:42):
food and a brighter future. Visit the Tucsonfamilyfoodproject dot org
to learn more and to make your donation today. Together,
we're not just helping families, We're building a stronger tuson
Ey Tucson.
Speaker 2 (56:52):
Ready to spice up your dining experience, Join the Tucson
Tasty Show Supporter membership and unlock exclusive access to secret
menu items from our partner restaurants. These one of a
kind dishes aren't just regular menu items crafted just for
our members. It's your backstage pass to Tucson's best kept
culinary secrets. Sign up today at the Tastyshow dot com
(57:15):
and discover what you've been missing. Stay Tasty.
Speaker 6 (57:17):
Tucson Spark Project Collective the world's first tattoo, body piercing
and metaphysical nonprofit. We're here to inspire, uplift and give
back a Tucson for meaningful tattoos and unique piercings, massage therapy,
soundbed sessions, metaphysical readers, and classes for spiritual growth. Spark
Project Collective helps you express your authentic self while giving
(57:38):
back to your community. Rent our event space. It's perfect
for your next gathering or even workshop. Visits Sparkproject Collective
dot com to learn more and discover where creativity and
connection meet
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!