Interview: David Ellenstein talks about creating the musical comedy THE REMARKABLE MISTER HOLMES at North Coast Repertory Theatre

North Coast Repertory Theatre invites you to enjoy the madcap mystery musical THE REMARKABLE MISTER HOLMES playing July 20th - August 21st. Director and co-writer David Ellenstein talks about working with his talented co-creators Omri Schein and Daniel Lincoln, and why they knew audiences would love a musical comedy about the world's greatest detective.

THE REMARKABLE MISTER HOLMES finds the notorious detective in London solving crimes with his new assistant. This homage to Arthur Conan Doyle's works brings a new way to enjoy the escapades of this super sleuth - this time as a musical.

David Ellenstein is the Director of the new piece and co-wrote it along with Omri Schein who also wrote the lyrics. Daniel Lincoln wrote all of the music for the show. This new show took shape because of the success of previous Sherlock productions and their audience's love of musicals. So the idea to create something new with that combination was born.

"At North Coast Rep we produced SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE GREAT NOME GOLD RUSH by Joe Vass and Holmes and Watson by Jeffrey Hatcher in past seasons. Both were hugely successful for us. Most of our audience loves a good musical or comedy. I love the idea that some of the work we do here is conceived and generated solely in-house. A Sherlock Holmes murder mystery comedy was born."

Ellenstein says that the character of Sherlock is a consistent pop culture favorite because there are so many fascinating layers to explore.

"He's brilliant and flawed - as much as we all wish we could be as smart as Sherlock Holmes, we also relate to his weaknesses. He is arrogant and can be insulting to others. He also cannot be idle or his demons take over. Ultimately the character that Conan Doyle fashioned was so detailed and well drawn, his nearly superhuman skills juxtaposed with his human flaws, makes him charming, intriguing, and endearing."

The show also allowed David to work with Omri Schein on the book while Schein worked on lyrics to accompany the music written by and Daniel Lincoln. Omri is well known to San Diego audiences as an accomplished performer and writer and had worked with Ellenstein before on projects, so this was a wonderful opportunity to work together again.

"I have known Omri for a long time. He is a wonderfully talented musical theatre performer and I have directed him many times. He is also an accomplished lyricist and playwright. Working with him is very natural. We get each other and have a similar aesthetic for feel and flow in the story, and he is really funny."

Lincoln was new to working with Ellenstein but proved to be an excellent fit to complete the team.

"We needed an excellent composer that would gel with us, and Daniel was recommended. It has been a great fit. Danny immediately understood what we were going for and has written a great score for this show. We all knew it was important for us to enjoy the creative process in order to invent the kind of show we were after; It has been a very happy trio."

Ellenstein is an accomplished director, having worked not just in San Diego but across the country for many years and was awarded the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award for "2018 Director of the Year." Working on this show as both a writer and the director felt like a natural choice since he could write and envision how it all would unfold on the North Coast Rep stage, and hopefully beyond there in the future.

"From early on as we were creating the script, I always knew that I would also be directing. As we wrote or kicked around ideas, I was always envisioning staging and how the story would unfold for the audience. I also knew we were creating the initial production for the North Coast Rep stage, so some things were purposely scaled for our intimate space. That said, all three of us also have an eye for the potential beyond the premiere - and know how the play can be expanded to accommodate a larger venue."

How To Get Tickets

You can see THE REMARKABLE MISTER HOLMES playing July 20th - August 21st at The North Coast Repertory Theatre. For ticket and showtime information you can go to northcoastrep.org

Photo Credit: THE REMARKABLE MISTER HOLMES playing July 20th - August 21st at The North Coast Repertory Theatre.

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