Cafe-goers will seek to capture murderer Thursday night

The café, 213 S. Rogers St., will be hosting its first murder mystery night at 8 p.m. Thursday. Staff members, as well as IU Jacobs School of Music students, will be participating in the event.\nGuests will be able to enjoy champagne, an appetizer buffet and entertainment for the evening. Several of the wait-staff from Tutto Bene will be acting as different characters in the plot as the guests who have made reservations must try to solve a murder mystery.\nCo-owner Marci Widen said Tutto Bene's guests will be attending a pseudo-retirement party for the general manager of the American Opera Theatre, a scenario written by staff member and senior Eric Anderson.\nAnderson explained staff members who are also IU music students would be playing the stars of the opera and at one point would perform for the guests. \n"During that part, the murder will take place," he said. "What (the guests) will have to do is talk to the characters, find out who they're talking to, how they might be connected and how they're involved. Hopefully at least one person will figure out who the murderer is."\nHe planned the story and performances based around the idea that several Tutto Bene staff members were music students as well. \n"This way we get to use the restaurant in a very unique way, (give) the vocalists on staff a chance to perform and it's just a good sort of innovative promotional opportunity for the restaurant in general," Anderson said.\nWiden agreed.\n"The whole idea is people are going to be mingling and up and around and asking questions," Widen said. "I'm hoping there'll be some interaction and moving around because that's what makes it fun."\nDavid Hale, soon-to-graduate with a Bachelor of Music, will sing for the performance along with Jacobs School of Music graduate voice students Rachael Lubbers, Jeremiah Johnson and Carrie Reading.\n"It's not just a murder mystery," Hale said. "In addition to the mystery there's going to be performances because that's the scenario around which the murder takes place. We kind of work that in as a chance to sing for everybody."\nAt the end of the evening all the guests who have figured out who the murderer is will be entered for a chance to win the grand prize: two tickets to IU Opera Theater's currently-running production, Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado," dinner for two at Tutto Bene before the show, as well as transportation to and from the opera. Other winners will receive Tutto Bene gift cards.\nWiden emphasized Tutto Bene's unique atmosphere and ability to host events such as this.\n"We're sort of an artsy-creative crowd here so we like to do fun things," she said. "We want it to be a spontaneous interactive evening."\nWiden explained the "and more" part of the café's title was important. \n"We're not just a wine café," she said. "One of the reasons I wanted it to be called a café is sometimes people think a bar is only drinking. And we're much more than that."\nReservations for the evening must be made no later than Tuesday by calling Tutto Bene at 330-1060. Tickets are $35 a person for the event. Dress is semi-formal/black-tie optional.