![]() The lighting is spectacularly designed by Steve Deming. A jack-of-all-trades, Mills also serves as the musical’s projection designer. Matt Mills’ sound design creates the perfect sonic blend. I knew when I saw the entire ensemble that I was in for a treat of a night. As the cast starts the show scattered among the audience, this is what the eye is drawn to first. The marriage between her thoughtful costumes, Stephen Walsh’s astounding wig design, and Cathy Dunn’s flawless make-up design lends to a visually pleasing performance. Justine Crimans’ costume design is eye-catching. Mattie Cohan, Mel Gumina, Andrew Harasty, and Rohan Basuthakur in ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood.’ Photo by Bruce Rosenberg. In “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead,” the cast wield parasols and form a moving kickline with interweaving and interlocking parts. Valerie Mikles’ jaunty choreography serves as a highlight of the evening. Higgs also faces the challenge of simultaneously conducting and playing in the small but mighty six-piece orchestra reduced from the original (Audrey Chang, Violin Mark Allred, Trumpet Tony Aragon, Bass Mayumi Baker, Drums/Percussion Steve Ward, Trombone Valerie Higgs, Conductor / Keyboard I and Lynn C. Music Director Valerie Higgs creates a wonderful tonal landscape. Though one might expect such complexities to create confusion, Andruski’s skillful staging clarifies when the music hall performers are playing themselves and when they are putting on their production of Drood. The show’s players, who are really music hall performers putting on a production of Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood, meander around and have genuine conversations with the audience both during the beginning of the show and throughout the intermission. Andruski’s phenomenal direction artfully collapses the fourth wall of the play-within-a-play conceptualized by Holmes. When Drood is murdered, all of the above become suspects. Meanwhile, the Reverend Crisparkle has long-harbored affections for Rosa Bud’s mother, the playwright Bazzard awaits his turn in the limelight for once, and the undertaker Durdles knows far too much about the matters of death in the village of Cloisterham. Throughout the show, Neville’s twin sister, Helena, becomes dear friends with Rosa Bud and will do anything to save her. Jasper, who also serves as Rosa Bud’s music teacher, is a textbook villain and frequent customer of Princess Puffer’s opium den. ![]() Throughout the show, Drood contends with several rivals for Rosa Bud’s affections including Neville from Ceylon (aka Sri Lanka) and Drood’s uncle, Jasper. As Drood and Rosa Bud have been betrothed since childhood, they are unsure if they see each other as lovers or friends. The show follows Edwin Drood and his dear friend, Rosa Bud. Mel Gumina as Edwin Drood and company in ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood.’ Photo by Bruce Rosenberg. This leads to endless possibilities sure to keep all attendees guessing until the musical’s final notes. Who killed Edwin Drood? Who in the cast is disguised as the investigator? And which two characters will find romance? Only you can decide. Based on the unfinished novel of the same name and adapted into a musical by Rupert Holmes (book, music, lyrics, orchestrations), this family-friendly production turned choose-your-own-adventure musical takes a creative approach: at the place in this adaptation (Act II) where the late Dickens put down his pen forever, the audience gets to vote on the ultimate conclusion to the show. ![]() ![]() Whether you’re a fan of whodunits like Knives Out and Agatha Christie novels or are a Charles Dickens enthusiast, the British Players’ production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is not to be missed. ![]()
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