Everyone loves a good mystery, especially when the audience gets to decide the ending. Such is the case with Torn Ticket II's fall major, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." This musical promises to be a mystery-solvin' good time.
Directed by senior Brian Smith, "Edwin Drood" is a unique murder-mystery-musical containing a great deal of audience interaction. On top of all these entertaining elements, the play knows how to make fun of itself. This show is based on Charles Dickens' last book of the same title, which Dickens did not finish because he died in the middle of its creation.
Rupert Holmes (made famous by "Escape (The Pi?±a Colada Song)" - why wouldn't you want to see this show?) turned the book into a musical with an unfinished ending. Instead, the audience members choose the course of events. The audience votes on who the murderer is, who the lovers are, and who Datchery the private detective really is.
"The reason I chose to do this show is the high level of audience participation. It's a solve-it-yourself show," said Smith. "The audience votes on the outcome of the second act. Some of the members were trying to calculate, and they came up with four hundred to five hundred possible endings."
"I love that the show brings the audience in. They're not just laughing at us, they're laughing with us - they're part of the joke."
Since every character is a potential suspect, each of the many cast members has an equally important role. "We couldn't put on the show without everyone," says Smith. "We have an incredibly talented and focused group."
Although confusing at first, the premise of this musical is clever. The actors portray members of a British music hall that are putting on the show "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," so the production becomes a play-within-a-play. Thus, each actor plays dual roles, one character in the music hall and one character in the music hall's "Edwin Drood" play.
"There are moments where [the show] moves into the music hall, and then it moves into the musical," said senior Lizzy Oxler, who plays both Angela and Angela's character, Princess Puffer. The music hall characters are melodramatic theater lovers who vie for the audience's attention. "It's really fun and crazy and entertaining for the audience. We never know what's going to happen next, so it's a lot of fun to be a part of," said Oxler.
The narrator plays a very effective role. Besides narrating the musical, he also acts in the music hall play. He humorously acknowledges that a woman (music hall diva Alice Nutting, played by senior Erica Finkel), portrays the lead male, Edwin Drood, and he also points out some clues.
The clues lead to one part of the audience participation: Each member can try to solve the mystery himself. The result is colorful and interesting. At various times, the characters venture into the audience, introduce themselves and carry on conversations. The actors do a superb job of staying in character, perfecting realistic accents and singing and dancing gracefully all at the same time. Their rich period costumes enhance their characters.
In this production, Smith wanted to capture the Victorian era in the British music hall. The set, which takes up one whole side of the Balch Arena Theater, is quite versatile. The pit orchestra sits thinly veiled behind a sheer scrim draped across the back of the stage. Red curtains and an elevated stage lend to the music hall vibe. The tile floor is an impressive transformation of Balch Arena's plain floor.
"Our goal was to put on a funny, exciting, entertaining murder mystery," Smith said. With humorous dialogue, audience involvement, impressive singing and dancing, and an intriguing plot, Torn Ticket II may achieve its goal.
