Community Players of Concord Present SOMETHING'S AFOOT

On May 3, 4 and 5, 2019, The Community Players of Concord, NH will proudly present Something's Afoot, A Murder Mystery Musical, a spoof of murder mysteries in general, but mainly, Agatha Christie's mysteries, especially her famous novel and play And Then There Were None (a/k/a Ten Little Indians). The high energy comedy songs are reminiscent of old time music hall numbers, sung to impressive effect by a notable and vocally talented cast of ten who bring the ridiculously drawn English stock characters to life. The two story set has been under construction for months at the Community Players' Studio on Josiah Bartlett Road in Concord, with much attention paid to incorporating the special effects needed to tell the story.

Performances are Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, May 5 at 2:00pm, at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord, NH. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for juniors and seniors, and are available on-line at www.communityplayersofconcord.org, or at the Audi box office. Box office hours are Wednesday through Friday, May 1-3, 4:30-7:30 pm, Saturday, May 4, 6:00-7:30 pm, and Sunday, May 5, 12:30-2:00 pm. There is a $2 per ticket discount for purchases before May 1.

Something's Afoot features a setting and plot familiar even to those not familiar with Agatha Christie - remember the game Clue? Six guests arrive for a marvelous weekend at the English island estate of Lord Dudley Rancour. Someone is soon found murdered, just as a sudden, violent storm wipes out the only bridge, trapping the remaining guests, three servants and a mysterious young stranger in the grand manor house. One by one, members of the trapped party are murdered in ridiculously clever (or just plain ridiculous) fashion. Who is the murderer and who will die next? Is it the fusty retired colonel, the black sheep nephew, the doctor, the pseudo-French grand dame, the flighty ingénue, or the uninvited student who appears at the door soaking wet soon after the first murders occur? Or is it Miss Tweed, the amateur artist/detective who gleefully appoints herself as leader of the investigation? Could it be the new maid, the flirty groundskeeper or - could it be Clive, the fussy butler?!!

Codirector Steve Lajoie has had Something's Afoot on his "list" of small cast musicals he'd like to present since he saw it hilariously performed in 1983. Codirector Jim Webber was happy to join Lajoie in presenting this zany piece, which he describes as "Downton Abbey meets Fawlty Towers." Something's Afoot premiered in regional try-outs in the early 1970's at Goodspeed Opera and other prominent regional theatres and then went to Broadway for a short run in 1976. It subsequently enjoyed a long run in London's West End, where it was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Musical. A television version starring Jean Stapleton and Andy Gibb was produced in the early 1980's. The show has since been produced in a variety of countries and languages and continues to be featured in regional and community theatres throughout the US. The Community Players of Concord is pleased to offer this spoof - full of belly laughs and upbeat music, just right for Spring.

Photo by Michael von Redlich

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