![]() Crisparkle’s assistant discovers Edwin’s torn coat by the river. There is a short halt here, where the actor playing Bazzard soliloquizes about how he never seems to be able to get a major part in a show in the song " Never The Luck". Soon the party disbands and the guests depart into a violent storm. In the resulting song " No Good Can Come from Bad", Neville and Drood's antagonism is reinstated, Helena's and Crisparkle's worry for Neville's reputation is shown, and it is revealed that Crisparkle used to be in love with Rosa's mother, who died after Rosa's birth. It is Christmas Eve and Jasper has arranged a ‘reconciliation’ dinner for the Landless twins, Crisparkle, Rosa and Drood. As a parting gift, Rosa gives Drood her hair clasp, which once belonged to her mother. In the graveyard, they tell us that Edwin and Rosa, who have been promised to each other since they were children and so cannot tell if they truly love each other, have called off their engagement (" Perfect Strangers"). We are then introduced to the drunken stonemason Durdles, and his assistant Deputy. He and Jasper sing of their conflicting minds- Jasper, of course, meaning it literally- in the patter song " Both Sides Of The Coin". This results in major confusion for poor Mayor Sapsea/The Chairman, and laughs for the audience. Next, The Chairman is called in to play another character as that actor is unable to come, but it turned out that the scenes of his character and the scenes of Mayor Sapsea coincide- and the characters have to disagree with each other. Back in Cloisterham, Neville and Drood meet and come to odds with each other almost immediately. Puffer shows great interest in this fact, and stores it away in her memory. We discover that one of Puffer’s regular clients is none other than Jasper himself, who cries out the name 'Rosa Bud' during a hallucination. Next the chairman brings the audience to London and the sinister opium den of the Princess Puffer who talks with the audience, and explains her life in " Wages of Sin". Neville is immediately attracted to Rosa, which makes him a rival to both Edwin and the secretive Jasper. The kindly Reverend Crisparkle and two exotic emigrants from Ceylon, Helena and Neville Landless, arrive. Rosa's suspicion of his obsession is confirmed when at her next lesson, he asks her to sing a song he has written- " Moonfall"- an innuendo-heavy love song from Jasper to her. Drood is engaged to the fair Miss Rosa Bud, who is Jasper’s music pupil and the object of his mad obsession. They then introduce John Jasper, the 'Jekyll and Hyde' choirmaster who greets his young nephew Edwin Drood in the song " Two Kinsmen", where they express their strong friendship. More and more members of the company add to the growing noise, until the music begins and the Chairman of the proceedings bursts forth with the show’s opening number " There You Are". The Mystery of Edwin Drood the Musical - PLOT SYNOPSISĪct One opens as the members of the Music Hall Royale circulate among the audience, introducing themselves to the patrons. This image was also used as the curtain for the Players’ production.The Mystery of Edwin Drood - PLOT SYNOPSIS The cover for the program used the same illustration that Charles Dickens had selected for his magazine story. On opening night, the fog machine that runs during a dream sequence malfunctioned during the number, and the first four rows of patrons sat covered in fog. Every time the Chairman or the drunken grave digger spoke, the patron’s head snapped up quickly, looking for the origin of the noise. However, the person would revive when one of two actors spoke on stage. Many in the cast noticed this and worried as to whether this person needed medical attention. The actor quickly replied, “I am the show!” Another funny situation occurred when a person in the front row of the matinee kept nodding off. During one performance, as the actors moved out into the audience trying to get votes for themselves as the lovers, murderer or detective, an audience member asked one of the actors to move aside so that they could see the show. Newcomers to Players were Lawrence Bencomo and Sara Flanders. ![]() The characters came off of the stage and into the audience to encourage audience members to decide the ending of the show (which changed from audience to audience) by selecting the lovers, the murderer and the detective. The final show of the season was the musical “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” “Drood” was an audience participation show.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |