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Charles Dicken's murder mystery entitled "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" would seem to be very bad source material for a musical. Dicken's novel was unfinished, and he died after writing three quarters of the book and very sketchy notes. It was never revealed who the murderer was, or even who the mysterious detective was. Who would dare to touch this ultimate of mysteries?
Enter composer/lyricist Rupert Holmes. With a clever twist, Mr. Holmes has set this rendition of the unfinished work in a baudy British Music Hall in 1892. This "show-within-a-show" concept is pulled off quite well, where the actors of the "Music Hall Royale" portray the characters of the novel, and the audience is given the chance to vote on who the detective was, who the murderer was, and even who falls in love at the end. It's a great, clever concept, giving the Lyric Opera Theatre's performers the chance to play multiple roles and interact directly with the audience. The only flaws of the script, and they are major ones, are it's overwhelming production expectations (multiple period costumes, actors racing from stage to audience and back at breakneck speeds) and its intricate lyrics and melodies. Mr. Holmes' music is upbeat and melodramatic as the setting requires, but his lyrics are a bear for any performer to attempt, and even more difficult for the audience to comprehend. Despite its cleverness, wonderful writing and hummable melodies, Drood is rarely performed, and even more rarely performed well.
ASU's Lyric Opera Theatre and director Graham Whitehead have taken up this impressive challenge with varied results. Despite being sabotaged by the horrendous sound design by Douglas Jon Leonard, and the unbelievably rushed and flat delivery of the Chairman (the Master of Ceremonies), played by Tim Shawver, the show is balanced by several wonderful vocal and acting performances, overwhelming energy and the sense of fun and adventure inherent in the script. Ultimately, the many good things in this production outweigh the few (though ever-present) bad.
At the center of the show (besides the Master of Ceremonies), is the traditional "bad guy," John Jasper, exquisitely played by Bill Badgett. He and his nephew, Edwin Drood, (performed as was the style of the Music Hall era by a woman) played spectacularly by Jennifer Raithel, are at odds for the love of Edwin's betrothed, Rosa Bud, sung and acted superbly by Amy Jo Arrington. Add to this mix a mysterious brother and sister newly arrived from India, stupendously performed by Ferdinand Torrez and April Monte, Mr. Jasper's opium dealer, Princess Puffer, played in a showstopping way by Amy Rogers, as well as Mr. Jasper's employer, Reverend Crisparkle, well played by Chad Millar. Many other superlative performances are given by the other members of the ensemble, notably Randy Carels and Kathryn Kidder as the traditional comic relief duo, and Ben Slavin as the forlorn, perennially small-roled Bazzard.
It is only a shame that Mr. Shawver's performance was not up to the rest of the stellar presentations. His pivotal role as the emcee forces him to set the pace of the show, and might have been the reason for his rushed delivery, but he ran roughshod over his many funny lines and all-important explanations of plot.
The set design by T. Gary Weatherly and lighting design by Randy Emery were unremarkable, though fit the requirements of the show's Music Hall setting. Esther Turner's costume design was wonderful, and Carol Simmon's hair and make-up design also deserves mention. The show, though, was very nearly ruined by Mr. Leonard's terrible sound design. It was nearly impossible at times to hear the crucial lines the actors were speaking and singing, and several times the body mikes appeared to have shut off in the middle of songs and speeches. With a show as complicated and with lyrics as difficult to understand as "Drood"'s, it doesn't matter how well the actors enunciate their lines and songs if the sound system is this badly handled. If it weren't for the actors many attempts at compensating for the sound problems, the evening might have been a bloody mess.
The many experimental touches that this show contains, such as the impressive amount of audience interaction both before and during the show, and the genuine fun that this talented cast had in staging this difficult production, help to lift this performance to an impressive height. Considering how rarely this fun show is produced, everyone is recommended to see this show; just make sure to listen closely.
Production Details:
"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" by Rupert Holmes
ASU's Lyric Opera Theatre
ASU Music Theatre, 965-2856
April 19th-April 28th, 1996
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