Welcome to Post Mortem! This is where Master Mystery Productions looks back on the performance of its most recent show.
The orchestra swells. The Sugar Plum Fairy leaps into a magnificent grand jete. And then…she drops. Gasps swell in the audience. The orchestra breaks. A cousin screams in the balcony. But it’s too late for the prima ballerina has died. Such a dramatic opening then guides listeners into another thrilling adventure of Basil Bremerton. Even though it’s on YouTube, the rado show whisks us all back to 1930’s London as our fashion-challenged detective tackles one the most unusual murder mysteries of his illustrious career. But will the eccentric genius be able to explain the unexplainable when he reveals the ballerina was suffering from tormenting visions in the theatre? Leave it to Basil to find the culprit in our 39th production we call Visions of Sugarplums.
Despite Regions Beyond‘s “The 12 Ghosts of Christmas” being a holiday episode, Visions of Sugarplums functions as MMP’s first standalone holiday special, and it reuintes us with our favorite Golden Age detective, Basil Bremerton, who wages wars of wits against wily murderers, thieves, and malcontents across the pond on his radio show. The Adventures of Basil Bremerton, our fictional 30’s radio drama series, was perfect for just such a production. It allowed us to revive a favorite character of the past, to bring a new story to his canon. It also gave us a chance to revitalize our YouTube channel with new productions. In searching for an appropriate festive muse for the show, writer/director Daniel Stallings recalled the many performances of The Nutcracker ballet he saw when his sister performed as a ballerina several years ago.
Our cast received a special treat: We organized a private viewing party for them and their guests to premiere the show. Using an MMP family member’s home for the evening festivities, we transformed it into winter wonderland inspired by the original Nutcracker Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and invited our guests for a “Land of Sweets” Dessert Potluck. In the dining room, we themed the decor to the first act of the show with the grand holiday party in Clara’s home in traditional reds and greens, vintage ornaments, nutcracker dolls and German pyramids (heirlooms courtesy of German relatives). The living room, where the screening took place, was a candy-coated, sugar-sprinkled Land of Sweets.
Sure, we’re a little extra when we throw parties. We wanted to give the cast a chance to vote for the Diamond Mask Awards, so they could be honored for the work they did on the show. This also gave us a chance to host the end-of-season awards we do every year. It’s always more fun to do it with an audience. We even went the extra mile to design an official program for the production, which were given to the guests as souvenirs. Clink the link below to get your own program for Visions of Sugarplums.
Our guests has such a good time at the viewing party. Not only was the food tasty, but the show was packed full of joy as well. They laughed at all the right jokes, came up with interesting theories, one guest took copious notes intending to outwit Basil, and applauded everyone at each end credit. We had a tremendous time, and it was a lovely way for our MMP family to come together at the holidays.
We had, of course, a few little surprises of our own at the holiday viewing party. For whoever got closest to solving the crime (most accurate to guessing whodunit, how, and why), we presented a nutcracker trophy for Most Likely to (Nut)Crack the Case! Just a cheeky holiday gift. Congratulations to Lore Boster to coming the closest to matching wits with Basil Bremerton!
Closing night is our traditional awards night…but it’s hard to have a closing night for an omnipresent YouTube video. So why not awards at the cast premiere? First up was The Skeleton Key Award for Service Above and Beyond, our company’s oldest award. Each plaque is designed to uniquely reflect the show it was made for, making the Skeleton Key Award a symbol of an individual putting their unique heart and soul into a Master Mystery Production, going above and beyond their assigned jobs in the show to make it the best it can be. They are inspirations to us in the company, and they remain celebrated in our programs and on our website for years to come. Congratulations Michelle Stallings for winning the Skeleton Key Award for Visions of Sugarplums (and allowing us to transform your house into the Nutcracker Ballet)!
Following the Skeleton Key, we presented the coveted Diamond Mask Awards for Excellence in Performance. Voted by audiences, guests select their nominees for the award based on the performances they liked best. The actors with the most votes win. With multiple ties, FIVE actors won the award for their stunning work on Visions of Sugarplums. Congratulations to Calvin Johnson, Davis Kunz, Allison Mitchell, Devanne Fredette, and Leslie Blake for your Diamond Mask-winning performances!
In general, our Special Commendation certificates are for individuals who assist us at a moment of crisis (as can often happen in live theatre) such as actors dropping out, venue issues, transportation hiccups, etc. These heroes help us cross the finish line, often performing duties not covered by our other awards. For Visions of Sugarplums, instead of congratulating those who helped us finish, we rewarded those who helped us begin the show in the first place. Not just actors who agreed to revive iconic roles, but also those who helped other actors secure their own places within the production. As such, we awarded four Special Commendations for Visions of Sugarplums to Libby Mitchell, Calvin Johnson, Davis Kunz, and Jonathan Blair as an expression of tremendous gratitude for their work on the show. They are superstars. Congratulations!
Then there came the most prestigious award of the night: The Founder’s Award for a Year of Outstanding Service. This award is one of the hardest to achieve at Master Mystery Productions and is the company’s highest honor. It is given to an individual, company, organization, etc. who has gone above and beyond to promote and grow Master Mystery Productions over the course of an entire production year, in this case from January to November. The winners of this award have stood out as some of the most dedicated members of the company and have done so much to make Master Mystery Productions one of the best theatre producers in the area. This year, we couldn’t decide between two people whose accomplishments intertwined. Since it was our 10th anniversary, we decided that awarding more was the better option. So we have TWO champions for the Founder’s Award this year!
Libby Mitchell first joined MMP in late 2021 as an understudy for Who’s Who?, our costume party caper. Since then, she has grown into a talented, versatile performer with a “yes, and” spirit and an infectious energy onstage as she tackles deeper, more nuanced roles. Her previous accolades included the Skeleton Key Award for Service Above and Beyond for Tourist Trap in 2023 and Special Commendations for Closer to Heaven and Tête-à-Tête, but in 2025, she had a truly landmark season. She performed in Murder at the Red Fez 2025 Revival this past spring in the role of Millie Carraway, winning her first Diamond Mask Award for Excellence in Performance for some truly stellar acting. She then not only performed at Tweedledee in the Adult Cast of Malice in Wonderland this past summer, but she also took on the mantle of Costume Designer for the whole production, alongside Murolo Patchin, designing a colorful, creative (and whimsically chaotic) scheme which won her the Ruby Hand Award for Achievements in Design. She closed her year with another Special Commendation for her extra-curricular work on Visions of Sugarplums. With this impressive array of accomplishments, Master Mystery Productions was delighted to honor her with the 2025 Founder’s Award for all her great work and dedication across the season. Bravo, Libby!
Murolo Patchin first dipped a toe in theatre in Fall 2022 when he was cast as Thomas Clegg in CLOTA’s production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, under the direction of Daniel Stallings. Since then, he has skyrocketed as one of our rising theatrical superstars. His first show with MMP was as an Automaton in The Sky’s the Limit in Spring 2023. For this season, Murolo continued to shine. He performed as a Paparazzo in Murder at the Red Fez 2025 Revival. For Malice in Wonderland, he played as the White Rabbit for the Adult Cast, earning his third Diamond Mask Award after winning for Casey Morgenstern in Tourist Trap and Brewster in How to Solve a Murder. He also collaborated as co-Costume Designer with Libby Mitchell for the show, winning the Ruby Hand Award for Achievements in Design for his work. A gifted artist, Murolo also contributed scenic art for both Murder at the Red Fez and Malice in Wonderland, and he provided character sketches for the Youth Cast of Malice. To close a stellar season, Murolo voiced Toby Thane in Visions of Sugarplums. As such, we felt he earned the Founder’s Award for the 2025 season, and we are delighted to reward him with it. Congrats, Murolo!
Libby and Murolo both represent a bright future for theatre. Though young in their careers (our founder, for instance, has been working in theatre for seventeen years), they both showcased their dedication to learn, work, and grow, to improve as performers, to strengthen their skills from acting to tech, and to enrich the world that is Master Mystery Productions. Our crown sparkles ever more, because these two jewels are in it. With them as our future, theatre is in good hands. Take a bow, Libby and Murolo! We’re so proud of you!
Visions of Sugarplums allowed us to continue to grow our repertoire of what productions are possible at Master Mystery Productions. We got to reunite with friends old and new to create a gorgeous show to celebrate the end of a wonderful anniversary season. It let us write our own kind of love letter to the holiday season. And we continue to encourage the growth of all our artists and performers, which is at the heart of all that MMP does. Thank you everyone who helped us bring Visions of Sugarplums to life. This sense of community is why we stay in theatre and making as much magic as we can. We can’t wait to make more in the future!
You can watch the show by clicking the link below:
And the magic is going to keep on coming, don’t you worry. In the digital sphere, we’ll be bringing a thrilling murder mystery on the Moon to YouTube with Ex Luna. Then we’re in the process of developing a new series with Basil Bremerton. In our live performing sphere, we’ll be reviving a beloved past production from MMP–a Victorian murder mystery tea called The Last Garden Party–with new characters and a brand new solution. Auditions will happen in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled for that announcement. Here’s to an exciting future at MMP!
Have a merry Christmas, a happy holidays, and a happy new year from all of us at MMP. We can’t wait for 2026!
–Master Mystery Productions
Master Mystery Productions 