‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ is a delicious, old-fashioned melodrama
This is an off-kilter musical was derived from a half-written novel by Charles Dickens,
Watching the deliciously constructed “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” unravel in Foothill College’s Lohman Theatre is a lot like going to a county fair: There’s a barker, a showman, a band and colorful dancing ladies. The only thing missing is a snake charmer.
The shortened production run ends on Sunday, March 20.
Director Milissa Carey decided to create a version of the same play that opened two years ago but was quickly shut down after only a few performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also brought back at least half of the actors including The Chairman, well played by John Mannion, Cloe Angst as Edwin Drood, Brenna Sammon as the beauteous damsel Rosa Bud, the delightfully pixyish Linda Piccone as Durdles, her equally daft sidekick Daniel Cardenas as The Deputy, and Zack Goller as Bazzard.
Make no mistake: This is an off-kilter, old-fashioned melodrama derived from a half-written novel by Charles Dickens, who passed away before it was finished. Instead, in 1985 playwright and composer Rupert Holmes decided to make “Drood” into a musical. It played on Broadway for about five months and won five 1985 Tony Awards, including best musical, book, score, direction and leading actor.
The setting, The Music Hall Royale, is imaginatively created here by scenic and projections designer Carlos Aceves in Foothill’s intimate Lohman Theatre located near the entrance off of El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills.
Far off to the audience’s right in the shadows sits Scott Solomon as the stage manager, James Throttle. Solomon makes the most of banging a symbol or making other sounds as the show progresses.
Slapstick comedy (thanks to Piccone and Cardenas), broad puns and asides by the cast and frequent encouragement to the audience to applaud or boo are all part of the fun that seems shared by both actors and theatregoers.
A number of fine voices are showcased here including Angst, Mannion, Sammon, Bazzard and Saira Grewal as the young princess from Ceylon. Leo Lopez as her uncle, Neville Landless, also has a strong voice as does Adam Lowe, who plays John Jasper, the choirmaster of Cloisterham Cathedral, Edwin Drood’s uncle and Rosa Bud’s music master.
Mannion is impressive in his solo (“Both Sides of the Coin”) and he joins Lowe in another strong duet (“Two Kinsmen”). Sammon’s lovely soprano is heard in “Moonfall” and she joins Angst in the comedic duet “Perfect Strangers.”
As the promiscuous, drug-addicted The Princess Puffer, Melissa Costa’s strong voice is heard in “The Wages of Sin” and, with the entire company in the humorous “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead.”
So: Who DID kill Edwin Drood (if he’s actually dead)? That decision is left up to each night’s audience who votes for the most likely killer (out of seven choices). One night it might be the Rev. Mr. Crisparkle (Michael Rhone), John Jasper, Bazzard or even one of the Landlesses.
Because “Drood” is a musical, it comes with an orchestra. Conductor/keyboardist Michael Horsley leads his small group of fine musicians from a tiny room off the far left of the stage.
Costume designer Julie Engelbrecht is another repeat from two years ago, and although some costumes might have been salvaged by those who are recapping their roles (such as Rosa Bud, Cartwright, Durdles and Bazzard), she created a beauteous full-length gown for Costa as Princess Puffer and excellent replicas of Ceylon dress for Grewal and her brother.
A few full-cast musical numbers (“Off to the Races,” “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead” and “The Solution”) are nicely choreographed by Stecy Reed (from Kayvon Kordestani’s original choreography). Ellen Gould is credited with the excellent short videography called “Jasper’s Dream.”
Andrew Heller’s sound is good, as is Pamila Gray’s lighting design. Kudos, too, to Lynne Sofer who worked with the actors to fine-tune their British accents.
Tickets for future performances are available at www.app.arts-people.com or call (650 ) 949-7360. Ticket prices range from $15 for youth under 15, $25 for students, $35 for seniors and $40 standard admission (plus a $3 processing fee).
Overall, this show should delight and entertain audiences of all ages.