Je'Shaun Jackson is exuberant as the Chairman/Mayor, but could improve his diction somewhat. In the role of John Jasper, Field Oldham is fittingly manic and sinister, and he sings the role confidently. As Rosa Bud, Makenna Henehan displays a steady yet delicate singing voice to good effect and is aptly sympathetic in her portrayal of the ingenue. This is a shame, as NKU gives the musical a worthwhile production.Įllie O'Hara provides sharp acting and a piercing voice as Edwin Drood, turning in the show's best performance. The fact that the show garnered five Tony Awards in 1986 is more indicative of how weak a season it was on Broadway, rather than the quality of the piece. Holmes' lyrics are mostly serviceable, but in most cases, the songs fail to advance the plot. The remaining half of the score does feature a few praiseworthy numbers, including the plaintive "Moonfall" as well as "Perfect Strangers" and "Settling Up the Score," two melodic duets featuring pleasing harmonies. These music hall ditties fit the tone of the show, but they aren't musically interesting. Half of the songs are rhythmically repetitive patter songs. The other primary weakness is that Drood falters with its musical score, also by Rupert Holmes. Some may also find that the two wacky styles become tedious without more substance to support them. As a result, the audience never has any real connection or empathy for the characters of either the troupe's performers or those within Dickens' novel. While both of these contrasting styles are funny and somewhat entertaining, neither borders on realism. The inner play itself is presented in a highly melodramatic and intentionally overacted manner. The use of a Victorian troupe of offbeat performers allows for lots of free-wheeling hijinks, including bad puns, frequent farcical interruptions of the action, and outlandish audience interaction. The book for Drood by Rupert Holmes is a brilliant concept and framework, but written in a manner that creates some problems as well. So when young Edwin turns up missing on Christmas morning, who is to blame? Has he been murdered? If so, who did it? And who is the stranger who, along with the seedy Princess Puffer, seeks to solve the case? Since Charles Dickens died before answering any of these questions, the troupe turns to its audience to provide their opinions, and then play out the end of the mystery based on those choices. Soon, additional characters also enter the story, all with motives and grievances of their own. Rosa, however, is engaged to marry her childhood friend Edwin Drood, fulfilling an arrangement made by these two orphans' late parents. The actual story deals with the psychotic choirmaster John Jasper, who is in love with his student Rosa Bud. The audience is introduced to each "performer" as they enter the inner play's narrative and take on the role of one of Dickens' characters. This musical version is a play within a play and follows a rowdy Victorian-era theatrical troupe as they present their rendering of this whodunit at the Music Hall Royale. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is based on an unfinished novel of the same name by Charles Dickens, who passed away before revealing the ending of the plot. Solid performances, along with worthwhile direction and design, make this production a fine choice. One of the rarer shows to be mounted is The Mystery of Edwin Drood, currently staged by the Northern Kentucky University (NKU) musical theater program. This month in the greater Cincinnati area, there seems to be an endless list of options for theatergoing, from collegiate offerings to community theater productions to national tours.
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