RigaTony’s Murder Mystery Dinner Show — Local services in Myrtle Beach

This was great fun. We had never been to one before, although it has always been on my list, and it was not what I expected! In my imagination, we would be seated and have a dinner and then watch a show and the show would be interactive around us, but the majority of the time we would be watching, and that was not the case, which was very pleasant. The emcee (for lack of a better word) also played a character in the drama, and was really involved with the audience.

We also paid a bit extra so that my husband could play a bit part. That was great fun for him.

The other surprising element was that the show began almost immediately, and so we were served food while things were unfolding. This element was tricky only in that we weren’t sure how much we were supposed to be paying attention to the “clues“ while we were eating, and so It generated a little bit of anxiety for me, because I’m one of those people who always wins the game of Clue!

The third surprise was that the character actors stayed in character. Even when the characters sat at our table, and I asked how the food was, they did not break character at all. This was rather fun! The only people who are not “in character“ the entire time were the servers who brought us our food. It felt quite immersive.

Tips on going: Bring some cash to tip your server. Since you’re not really presented a bill (other than your bill for drinks if you ordered them) you may want to bring some cash to leave it for the server. After dessert guests have the opportunity to walk around and look at clues in the room. And these are not to be dismissed! I thought that they would just be a little background info, but some of them were really quite helpful in solving the case. I wish I had known that we could walk around the room and visit those elements earlier, because I would’ve done so while I was enjoying my cocktail before dinner.

If you have a VIP seat you are treated to a wonderful free cocktail; in this case ours was a large serving of rum punch. You also have the center table and are were seated with a couple of the main actors. I thought it was well worth it to have the VIP experience.

This is a full meal. We had a salad and soup and bread and pasta and dessert. You certainly are not going to go hungry.

The VIP package also included an opportunity to have a photo taken, and we did, and they printed it out for us while we waited. And we can’t find it. I’m afraid we left it there! I take a lot of my own photographs, and normally I don’t go in for the photos that are taken by places like aquariums or ski resorts etc., but I was really surprised at how nice the photo was. It was really playful.

The final surprise was how great the actors were. We read that this was a venue for actors in the area. And the woman who began the show singing was extraordinary!

One suggestion for improvement for the owners/management The singing had a beautiful voice. And what fun interpretations of songs! I think there should’ve been more opportunity for her to showcase her voice. Perhaps while we were looking around the room after dessert. I would’ve really enjoyed more singing.

Overall, this was great fun. I don’t know if they switch up the mystery every once in a while, because if they do, it would be fun to go back. I know they also have a wild western one, but that’s not really my scene. Overall, I would definitely recommend this show. And...

I came here because I wanted to see a show and I really love true crime and things like that so I thought it would be fun. This place had tons of great things about it, but there were also some bad things as well.

So let me start by saying the reviews about the food are a lie. The food was amazing and I loved it. The green beans weren't that great but every single other thing was awesome. The food alone made it worth the price of admission.

It was a very clean restroom and restaraunt in general.

The staff were all super friendly and fun. I could tell they really put their hearts into their roles. They were fantastic! At the end when he explained they wanted to open a place to support young actors, I really loved that. Someone following their dream is something I can always support.

Ok now on the other side of the coin, there are some things that could be improved.

First, there was a staff member who told a guest to make a weird joke about brokeback mountain. It came off so cringy and awkward I had secondhand embarrassment. Also a gay joke in 2023 in itself is cringy and weird, don't do that.

The show was a bit difficult to follow at times. The script was lacking and I thought it was going to be a lot different than it was. The order of the show did not flow together well. Don't get me wrong, there were certainly funny parts, and the actors definitely were excellent. It's the writing that is the issue.

My mom said that they said some things in front of children they maybe shouldn't have. I didn't hear it but that was her feedback. I really could not care less about what children hear, but maybe they could make it a child free show if they want to make more adult jokes. And perhaps the adults would have more fun as well.

The way I was seated forced me to constantly switch positions. They should really figure out a better way to arrange seating. I got to where I didn't care what was happening because I didn't want to have to keep turning around to watch. Plus staff kept bumping into my chair the entire time. There is seriously no reason to have a chair in that spot. And they choose your table so it's not like you can move. This was a major disappointment.

This last thing is admittedly my fault but I upgraded to cheesecake, and I thought for sure I would be able to purchase a cannoli but alas, I was not. So on the website I think they should change the word "upgrade" to the word "substitute".

All in all, the potential of of this show is outstanding. They could really polish it up and do something amazing here. I think the most important things are going to be revisiting the script and perhaps hiring a professional theatrical writer or something, as well as seating arrangements so that everyone can see and follow along. Regardless, it was enjoyable and I do believe it was worth the price...

The “big” dinner theater in Myrtle Beach is the pirate show. Riga Tony’s is a tiny little gem that you will regret missing if you don’t look for it!! It is an audience participative dinner theater with a focus on solving a Mafia-inspired murder mystery set in the 1930s.

I booked tickets ahead of time through the Expedia app for my family and myself. The venue advises getting there an hour early - the entertainment starts when you step in the door, so this is not a problem at all. The purpose is so that the audience can get situated, understand the purpose of the show (and how to solve the mystery), and for the cast to recruit audience members for a more in-depth role in the theatrics.

I went with my husband and children, and did my best to be openly excited about the entertainment (more to relax my kids, but also because these folks work hard), so they asked if I wanted one of these in-depth roles. I accepted, but what was really nice to see was that the cast did NOT make my children feel more uncomfortable than they clearly already were. I felt this was very respectful.

The cast danced and sang around the room (the vocals were WONDERFUL and Riga Tony had some impressive moves!), pulling audience members into their antics as they went. It was scripted, but there was also a lot of improv and the audience was encouraged to toss their own sidebar in to add to the performance. They found ways to work in relevant, modern-day references into the story (despite the 1930s theme) that only added to the hilarity.

Visitors who had paid extra to be part of the show were included in the interactions, but you’ll just have to come see the show to find out about this portion. :)

Periodically, the audience had time to look at the “clues” around the room and were invited to listen to the show and add the clues together to solve the mystery. At the end, the audience had a bit of time to write their suppositions down and the person closest to the real killer(s), means of murder, and motive(s) won a door prize. Then the cast acts out the final reveal and goes through the reasoning (afterwards is when the “super sleuth” in the audience is announced).

Throughout the show, you are served a 3 course meal, which I thought was VERY good. The tomato bisque was on point, the meatball with the pasta was exceptionally tasty (and NOT dry in the slightest!), and the cannoli was also quite good! The cheesecake was the best I’ve ever had and was absolutely worth the additional $5. (My son insists the cheesecake was the real killer because it was “killer” cheesecake.) The servers are also hard-working and did a phenomenal job.

If you’re looking for a great time and wonderful talent, this is an absolute MUST SEE while in Myrtle Beach! 10/10 would...