Raucous choose-your-own-adventure whodunit 'Edwin Drood' opens at Santa Fe Playhouse
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A Tony-winning musical comedy whodunit based on Charles Dickens鈥� unfinished final novel, 鈥淭he Mystery of Edwin Drood鈥� is a theatrical experience unlike any other. It opens at Santa Fe Playhouse on Thursday, Dec. 4.
鈥淭his musical is unique in that the audience chooses its own adventure,鈥� Joey Rodriguez, director, said. 鈥淭hey choose who the detective-in-disguise is, they choose who the murderer is, and they even choose which couple gets together in the end. It鈥檚 raucous entertainment, all chosen by the audience.鈥�
Theater-goers who come on different nights will see very different endings.
鈥淢y production team did the math, and there are 428 different possibilities,鈥� Rodriguez said.
Although the mood of Dickens鈥� novel is dark and gloomy, the Broadway adaptation by Rupert Holmes 鈥� who also wrote 鈥淓scape (The Pi帽a Colada Song)鈥� 鈥� is silly, boisterous fun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very much a farce and a comedic laugh-fest all the way through,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淭he original production is set in 1890 and is a Victorian British show. Historically, the British during that time had what they called music halls, which was basically vaudeville in a pub. So, the audience was usually intoxicated, and it was mainly just to have a laugh and not be super serious. The British, you know, when the sun goes down, they get less prim and proper.鈥�
The tale is presented as a show-within-a-show, so each actor plays two roles: a music hall performer and their murder mystery character.
Rodriguez has added an additional layer of self-referential humor by setting the play, not in England, but in Santa Fe.
鈥淚鈥檝e set this as a traveling caravan of actors who are also dealing in illegal goods, which is a historical fact that happened in Santa Fe,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚t adds another layer to the comedy, having American actors from the Southwest trying their hardest to do a British show.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檒l have the characters going in and out of accents with some country twang,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淚 told (the actors) on day one, your accents don鈥檛 have to be perfect. Just choose a British one, and it鈥檒l be funny.鈥�
Cues by Brittney Baker, the lighting designer, signal the shift between the actors鈥� Southwestern and faux-British roles.
鈥淲hen we are with Southwestern characters, they will speak in a Western accent in white light,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淭hen, they鈥檒l go right back into the show in a British accent, with their British names, and beautifully colored, saturated lights.鈥�
Rodriguez said the actors are a great team, very talented and well-versed in comedy.
鈥淜aren Ryan plays Princess Puffer, a very mysterious character who deals in opium,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淭he story is about a man named Edwin Drood, played by actress Andra Beatty. She is, of course, betrothed to Rosa Bud, played by Rikki Carroll. They have their marriage date set, but Drood鈥檚 uncle by the name of John Jasper, played by Martin Chavez-Borjas, has this plot to mess up their marriage so that he himself can marry Rosa Bud, which is loosely the plot.鈥�
鈥淥f course, a lot of hilarious things ensue,鈥� he added.
Musically, the production is an homage to British music hall traditions.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of crunchy chords and a lot of choral numbers, but then a lot of raucous beer hall moments where people are doing kick lines with drinks in their hands,鈥� he said.
Choreographer Jet Terry, who is also the assistant director, has given some of the song-and-dance numbers a distinctly Southwestern flavor.
鈥淗e has done a wonderful job of infusing ballet with saloon-style cowboy line-dancing,鈥� Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez describes the atmosphere of 鈥淒rood鈥� as planned chaos and said he hopes audiences will embrace the confusion.
鈥淐ome prepared to laugh,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淐ome prepared to loosen your tie and have a great time.鈥�
