‘Edwin Drood’ is a Dickens of a show for Foothill
Charles Dickens probably didn’t envision his final novel — a bleak, unfinished murder mystery — starting a new life more than 200 years later as a musical comedy. But the stage version of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” was a Broadway hit twice, winning a Tony for Best Musical in 1986 and a nomination for Best Revival of a Musical in 2012.
Rupert Holmes is responsible for the show’s book, music and lyrics. Milissa Carey, who is directing “Drood” for Foothill Music Theatre, says Holmes advises theater companies not to read Dickens’ source novel before staging his musical because it’s much darker than the show it spawned.
Given that Holmes gave the world “The Pina Colada Song,” it follows that he wrote a show with the same sardonic humor as that popular upbeat ditty about cheating on your spouse. In fact, Carey says she was drawn to the show in large part by the music.
“It has more of a Sondheim feel than a pop Broadway show,” she says. “And it sounds nothing like that song.”
The show’s murder mystery is actually a play within a play, being staged by a vaudeville troupe in Dickens’ time.
“The connection is that it’s opening night, and all the actors want to be the murderer,” Carey says.
All the actors get that chance, since whodunnit is left up to an audience vote.
“We have to rehearse all iterations,” Carey says. “Actually, there are three moments in the show when the audience can vote. All the possibilities are very comical.”
Carey says directing the show’s multiple endings isn’t as daunting for her as it is for the cast members, who have to respond once the audience votes for the murderer of its choice. Having actors who are quick on their feet is a plus, she adds, particularly the John Mannion, who plays The Chairman, the host of the evening’s mysterious proceedings.
“He needs to have an improv background—and our guy does,” Carey says, pointing to Mannion’s experience as a performer at San Jose Comedysportz and as the founder of Mumblypeg, an improvisational musical comedy troupe. “Once the murderer is revealed, there’s one more thing to vote on, and he needs to keep track of it all.”
Both the show’s title character and its comic relief are played by women. Chloe Angst plays Drood and Linda Piccone is the grave- digger Durdles.
“The idea is that what was popular at that time was pants-rolling opera,” Carey says. “The title character is the leading male impersonator of the day.”
As for Piccone, the director says, “It was an opportunity to bring a very funny actor into the mix for the clown part.”
Carey says she’s tried to make the production immersive, so the ensemble is often out in the house interacting with audience members and pointing out moments in the show they might want to remember before they cast their vote.
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” runs Feb. 27-March 15 at Lohman Theatre, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. Tickets are $12-$36 at www.foothill. edu/theatre or 650-949-7360.
Contact Anne Gelhaus at 408200-1051.