Pat Sajak Has Murder in Mind in First Project After ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Martin Holmes April 23, 2025, 9:33 am

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Pat Sajak might have retired from Wheel of Fortune last June, but the iconic game show host is ready to step back into the limelight this summer as he takes to the stage for a brand new project.

Sajak and his longtime collaborator Joe Moore are making their return to the Hawaii Theatre Center stage for the production of Prescription: Murder, adapted from the hit TV detective series Columbo. The play will debut on July 31 and run through August 10, 2025, with all the net proceeds going to support the Hawaii Theatre Center.

According to the Hawaii Theatre website, Prescription: Murder “tells the story of a brilliant psychiatrist (Sajak) and his mistress (Therese Olival) who hatch a plot to murder his neurotic and possessive wife (Amy K. Sullivan) that depends on a bizarre impersonation to create a perfect alibi.”

“Lt. Columbo (Moore) is assigned to the case and engages the psychiatrist in a cat-and-mouse battle of wits right up till the play’s surprising climax,” the description continues. “Complicating the case is the psychiatrist’s personal friend, the Asst. District Attorney (Bryce Moore).”

Sajak and Moore have teamed up in the past on several theater productions, including Prophecy and Honor, a revival of The Odd Couple, The Honeymooners, and The Sunshine Boys.

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“It’s a great thing for me to do,” Sajak said last year of this stage work. “First of all, I get to come to Hawaii – actually, first of all, I get to see Joe, and we are old friends and it’s great. And of course, spending time in Hawaii is great. And, you know, as you get older, there’s the work of memorizing a play, and it’s a good measurement of how you’re doing that you can do that. And, happily, I still can, although we have yet to determine that.”

Sajak retired from Wheel last June after 41 years as host; Ryan Seacrest took over as replacement, co-hosting alongside long-time letter-turner Vanna White. However, Sajak hasn’t quite said his final goodbye yet, as he will host one last season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, premiering on April 30 on ABC.

You can watch a promo video for Prescription: Murder here and purchase tickets here.