A fried chicken mogul has been found dead in a fryer -- and the funeral is this Friday at the York Ice Arena.

But they don't want flowers and no one needs to cry, because "Fat Freddy's Fried Chicken Funeral" is an interactive murder mystery dinner, and all of the proceeds will benefit the Urban Impact Community Fund.

The comedy focuses on the suspicious death of fried chicken mogul Freddy, and his grieving wives and twin brother Frankie.

Guests at the murder mystery dinner will join in as they try to figure out the real reason for Freddy's death.

"It's improvisational. It has a beginning, middle and end, but the audience will help to steer where that goes," said Calvin Weary, who wrote the show and is the director of the New Hope

School of the Arts.

"Everyone in the audience is part of the show. The audience and the stage are the same thing, there's no stage."

The inspiration: Weary got the inspiration for this show from "Tony and Tina's Wedding," an interactive presentation where audience members participate in an Italian wedding, which toured York a few years ago.

Weary also directed "The Mousetrap," an Agatha Christie murder mystery, which had great success in York five years ago.

For "Fat Freddy's Fried Chicken Funeral," he concentrated all of the fun into one show with fights, crying and that person who always gets too drunk, he said.

"I play Frankie, Freddy's twin brother, so my favorite part is having the opportunity to perform with folks from the area and students," Weary said. "Interestingly enough, I've worked with some of them since age 7 but never performed on stage with them."

Some of the cast for Fat Freddy's Fried Chicken Funeral will include actors from the locally made movie "Dead Queens," which premiered in January and was directed by York native Ryan Rossum.

Tickets are $35 and include dinner, beer and wine, and the show. To purchase tickets, call 717-845-4046 or visit www.uicfund.org/legacy-series.

The event is sponsored by Northwest Savings Bank and 3Cord Inc. and is the third in a series of annual Legacy Events held to benefit the UICF scholarship fund.

The UICF works to improve the quality of life for York County families through urban renewal projects like safe recreation spaces and educational opportunities. For more information, visit www.uicfund.org.

-- Reach Chelsea Shank at 505-5432 or cshank@yorkdispatch.com.