Hubbard Hall Center For The Arts And Education presents a new version of Rupert Holmes' Tony-winning The Mystery of Edwin Drood, relocated from a London music hall to an opera house in upstate New York, beginning performances tonight, November 17, with opening night on Saturday, November 18, to be attended by Holmes.
Since conversations with the theatre began in 2016, Holmes has been adapting his piece to fit a cast of 11 and to include local and time-specific references appropriate to the Hubbard Hall of Cambridge, NY, in 1895. Holmes states, "Creating a version unique to Hubbard Hall has been tons of fun and it gives a spin the show never had. Drood has been seen twice on Broadway and it gets performed somewhere virtually every day. But no one has ever seen this version."
Director David Snider says, "It's an amazing opportunity to work with an American Master on his masterpiece and in fact to have him rewrite parts of it to fit the Hall is a dream come true."
"This specific Hubbard Hall show is unique and a standalone," Holmes continues. "However, I've written a couple of new jokes and if those fly, like I hope they will, they'll stay in the published version."
On attending the production, Holmes says, "I can't wait. I'll probably give them all new lines just before the performance."
The Mystery of Edwin Drood stars Micah Savageau (Chairman William Cartwright), Zach Barnes (Clive Padgett/John Jasper), Sara Curtis (Alice Nutting/Edwin Drood), Sylvia Bloom* (Janet Conover/Helena Landless), Christine Decker* (Angela Prysock/Princess Puffer), Kyra Fitzgerald (Dierdre Peregrine/Rosa Bud), Tim Garner (Philip Bax/Bazzard), Erin Ouellette* (Colleen O'Keefe/Neville Landless), Joe Phillips (Cedric Moncrieffe/Reverend Crisparkle), Scott Renzoni* (Joe Merriweather/Durdles), and Catherine Seeley (Flo). (Appears Courtesy of Actors' Equity Association).
Direction is by David Andrew Snider, Musical Direction by Richard Cherry, Choreography by Darcy May, Scenic Design by Andy Nice, Lighting Design by Chelsie McPhilimy, Costume Design by Sherry Recinella, Technical Direction by Benjie white, with Moe Cossey as Stage Manager.
Based on Charles Dickens' incomplete last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood is solved by the audience each night, giving each cast member the chance - and challenge - to be the murderer, while delighting audiences with a new outcome every night. It's a rollicking comedy full of love, mystery, and intrigue all set inside of Hubbard Hall!
Performances of The Mystery of Edwin Drood will run Friday, November 17 through Sunday, December 3, Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm and 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. No performance on Sunday, November 18. Tickets are $30 General Admission/$15 Student. All tickets are available online at hubbardhall.org or by calling the box office at 518-677-2495
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