About the Show

Put on your detective hat and solve the longest running murder mystery show in New York City.

The longest running play in New York City history, “Perfect Crime” has run for over 12,000 performances. Notably, Catherine Russell has played the leading lady since its inception and has only missed four shows in the whole run. She holds the Guinness World Record for the most performances as a character in a play.

The murder mystery/thriller opens on the night a man is shot by a woman. The first detective on the scene assumes it must have been the wife. However, as the play continues to unfold, we are taken on a roller coaster ride of lies, deceptions, and false motives.

The play by Warren Manzi opened in 1987 at the Courtyard Playhouse in the West Village and has moved theaters nine times.

Critic Reviews (3)

"But if you stick with the story - and considering the turgid performances, that's asking a lot - it does make sense and even has a certain thematic elegance. As the illusions reveal themselves, a confusion and sense of terror slowly build. Or at least that's what should happen if the production wasn't so lethargic."
Read more

"There's just no killing New York's currently longest-running play. On Sunday, Warren Manzi's 1987 murder mystery, directed by Jeffrey Hyatt, hits a major mile-marker: 10,000 performances. Having never seen the show before, the time seemed right. As of No. 9,980, there's still life in the modestly diverting thriller."
Read more

"In the face of awkward segues within the characters’ dialogue and the lack of chemistry, Perfect Crime is still an intriguing thriller full of unexpected twists and turns. It will leave you unsettled and questioning the motives of its characters like any suspenseful piece of work will do. And in my opinion, that is its strongest asset."
Read more

Trailer

Creative team

Warren Manzi

Playwright