These are the facts about “Murder for Two,” the musical send-up of murder mysteries now at CLO Cabaret.

Exhibit A: A small-town detective is asked to solve the case of renowned novelist Arthur Whitney, found dead at his surprise birthday party.

Exhibit B: The investigator is portrayed by one man and all the dozen suspects are played by another.

Exhibit C: Both actors play the piano, sometimes changing places mid-tune.

Conclusion: Zaniness ensues.

The 90-minute comedy — tagline: “They put the ‘laughter’ in manslaughter” — won Chicago’s best musical honors in 2011 and earned Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle nominations when it debuted off-Broadway last year. The New York Times called it “an ingenious miniature musical in the form of a snazzy vaudevillian double act.”

“Our play is based on the Agatha Christie closed-drawing room mystery, and I’ve taken that idea as if it was performed by the Marx Brothers,” said Joe Kinosian, who composed the score and co-wrote the book with lyricist Kellen Blair. Mr. Kinosian will reprise his roles as the suspects here in Pittsburgh.

One big reveal in a recent phone chat was how the investigator got the name Marcus Moscowicz.

“We wrote the character for our friend Marcus Stevens, who is a wonderful actor and works a lot in Pittsburgh,” he said of the Point Park graduate who has performed in such shows as the CLO’s “Forever Plaid.” “So initially, it was me playing the suspects and the piano, and Marcus in the middle of the room. And as we moved into the readings and workshops, it just made sense that both guys play piano [during the performance].”

Mr. Kinosian described cutting Mr. Stevens as “horrible,” but his name was bestowed on the character to honor his part in the show. Casting himself as the suspects during the show’s original Chicago run was a more organic process for the creative team.

“The fact that I was a piano-playing singer-actor who likes doing voices and who would work for free for us was definitely in our minds,” Mr. Kinosian said with a laugh.

Ian Lowe, who understudied the role of Marcus during the New York run at New World Stages, takes on the role here. Pittsburgh CLO, an early producer/investor in “Murder for Two,” made Pittsburgh the first stop before the show hits the road for a year, with venues such as the Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson and the Old Globe in San Diego.

The “Two” of the title began communicating about the show in New York before arriving in Pittsburgh.

“I knew Joe because I knew about the show when it came on the regional scene in 2010, and I was a fan of it from the early stages. I always wanted to be a part of this show because it’s so funny and such a dream role for me,” Mr. Lowe said.

Not including understudies, Mr. Lowe is the seventh Marcus to play opposite Mr. Kinosian’s suspects.

“In all the experience I’ve had with Ian so far, he seems incredibly on top of it,” the actor-writer said. “He came into the audition at one of the early calls in New York, and from the second he walked into the room, he’s a guy you really like. That’s part of wanting to do the tour, too. … Also, as much wackiness as this play involves, you do want to be rooting for this guy, and you really do root for Ian — I know I do.”

Playing the piano, singing and capturing the distinctive characteristics of the suspects — the victim’s wife, a ballerina and a psychiatrist among them — makes for a frenetic 90 minutes. Mr. Kinosian described the effort as more about mental focus than physical or vocal stamina.

“That’s the fun of it, because when it’s really cooking, you are totally into it,” he said.

From the audience’s perspective, he sees it as appealing to middle school and up, despite “one of each swear word,” which he said are uttered with purpose and “not just to be cheeky.”

“I like that an older generation might appreciate a throwback to the Marx Brothers specifically, where an 11-year-old might just like the wacky voices. And a 30-year-old might like the ironic ‘Family Guy’-style humor,” the show’s co-creator said.

In discussing “Murder for Two” and its conceit of one actor portraying many characters, another show with a killer theme comes to mind. “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” last season’s Tony-winning musical, takes its cue from the film “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” so that it’s the parade of victims who are played by a single actor.

“Oh? I’m not familiar … I’m kidding,” said Mr. Kinosian, addressing the obvious similarities. “Hey, there were two Phantoms and they were started independently and they came out if not the same year, very close. Of course, more famously for theater nerds, there were two ‘Wild Parties’ the same year. What can I say? Murder is in the air.”

First Published: October 23, 2014, 4:00 a.m.