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96-615: The musical debuted at the New York Shakespeare Festival in August 1985. After being revised, it transferred to Broadway and ran until May 1987, sometimes billed simply as Drood , followed by two national tours and a London West End production. The Roundabout Theatre Company revived the musical in 2012. The musical is a staging of Charles Dickens ' final and unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood in

192-859: A "brief run", according to the Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre . The Royal Shakespeare Company staged a production which opened at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre , Stratford-upon-Avon , on February 10, 1987, toured the UK from March to May, and then played at London's Old Vic Theatre from May 19, 1987. Directed by Adrian Noble and staged by Ron Field , the production starred Nichola McAuliffe and Paul Jones as Lilli/Kate and Fred/Petruchio, with Tim Flavin and Fiona Hendley as Bill/Lucentio and Lois/Bianca. The gangsters were played by Emil Wolk and John Bardon , who shared

288-624: A 19-piece orchestra led by Paul Gemignani . After Rupert Holmes wrote an initial draft that lasted three-and-a-half hours and performed it, solo, for Joseph Papp, Gail Merrifield, and Wilford Leach, (the New York Shakespeare Festival's artistic director), Papp offered to produce the show as part of the Festival (also known as "Shakespeare in the Park") and told Holmes that it would be immediately transferred to Broadway if it

384-797: A 3½-week pre- Broadway tryout at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia starting December 2, 1948, the original Broadway production opened on December 30, 1948, at the New Century Theatre , where it ran for nineteen months before transferring to the Shubert , for a total run of 1,077 performances. Directed by John C. Wilson with choreography by Hanya Holm , the original cast included Alfred Drake , Patricia Morison , Lisa Kirk , Harold Lang , Charles Wood and Harry Clark . Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times praised

480-402: A combination of Princess Puffer & Deputy, Helena & Neville, and Rosa & Durdles), a revised "Ceylon" (which now incorporates "A British Subject"), a previously cut song ("An English Music Hall") as the new opening for Act II, and the "Opium Den Ballet". Holmes penned the liner notes for the album that will reflect new material and revisions. Holmes also re-orchestrated the production for

576-453: A man she loved who made her become a prostitute to please his friends and then left her. Once she lost her looks, she found a way to earn money – selling opium. She then continues with "Puffer's Revelation" and reveals the identity of Datchery (previously chosen by the audience.) The evening's Datchery (either Bazzard, Reverend Crisparkle, Helena, Neville, or Rosa) explains in their version of the revelation song "Out On A Limerick" why they donned

672-431: A note from Gail Merrifield, director of play development at the New York Shakespeare Festival and Joseph Papp's wife. She had seen Holmes' performance and suggested he write a full-length musical. Holmes conceived the show’s central premises by drawing on his recollections of Dickens' novel and pantomime as a youth, and his later experiences with Victorian-style music hall performances. From Dickens work, Holmes took

768-553: A return visit to Leeds Grand Theatre in May 2018. The Roundabout Theatre Company presented a revised third Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate with Kelli O'Hara as Lilli Vanessi/Kate, Will Chase as Fred Graham/Petruchio, Stephanie Styles as Lois Lane/Bianca, and Corbin Bleu as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio. The production is directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Warren Carlyle , with minor "feminist" updates by Amanda Green to make

864-511: A second confession is not performed (Some theaters will not count Jasper's votes, to make sure that there is a twist). Still, a happy ending is needed, and the Chairman asks the audience to choose two lovers from among the remaining cast members. The two chosen members declare their love, and then reprise "Perfect Strangers". Just then, there comes a noise from the crypt, and a very much alive Edwin Drood appears, ready to tell all that happened on

960-538: A series of Shakespeare workshops, then moved on to free productions on the Lower East Side . Eventually, the plays moved to a lawn in front of Turtle Pond in Central Park. In 1959, parks commissioner Robert Moses demanded that Papp and his company charge a fee for the performances to cover the cost of "grass erosion." A court battle ensued. Papp continued to fight Moses, winning his enduring respect and

1056-636: A slightly revised version of Drood , directed by Rob Marshall (with his sister Kathleen as his assistant), began its first North American tour at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, DC, with Rose, Schneider, and O'Hara reprising their leads, and Jean Stapleton playing Laine's role. During a break in the tour, George Rose returned to his home in the Dominican Republic and was murdered during his stay. Rose

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1152-412: A song he has written – "Moonfall" – an innuendo-heavy love song from Jasper to her. The kindly Reverend Crisparkle and two exotic emigrants from Ceylon , Helena and Neville Landless, arrive. Neville is immediately attracted to Rosa, which makes him a rival to both Edwin and the secretive Jasper. Next, the chairman brings the audience to London and the sinister opium den of Princess Puffer who talks with

1248-542: A style hearkening to British pantomime and music hall genres that had reached a height of popularity around the time of Dickens' death. As with most of his other novels, Dickens wrote The Mystery of Edwin Drood in episodic installments. It began publication in 1870, but Dickens died suddenly that year from a stroke . He left no notes about how he intended to finish the story. Almost immediately, various authors and playwrights, including Dickens's son, wrote endings. Since then, there have been several "collaborations" between

1344-441: A tribute to Shakespeare in which they explain that knowing Shakespeare is the key to romance ("Brush Up Your Shakespeare"). The company prepares for the conclusion of the play, the wedding of Bianca and Lucentio, even though they are now missing one of the main characters. However, just in time for Katherine's final speech, Lilli arrives onstage ("I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple"). Fred and Lilli wordlessly reconcile on stage, and

1440-401: Is not chosen as Datchery exits the theater in a huff. Once the votes have been tabulated, the cast comes out and sings "Don't Quit While You're Ahead" to welcome the audience back into the story and to remind them that the mystery has not been solved. Puffer finds Rosa, reveals that years before she had been Rosa's nanny, and tells her backstory in the song "Garden Path To Hell"; she tells of

1536-473: Is Christmas Eve and Jasper has arranged a ‘reconciliation’ dinner for the Landless twins, Crisparkle, Rosa, and Drood. In the resulting song "No Good Can Come from Bad", Neville and Drood's antagonism is reinstated, Helena's and Crisparkle's worry about 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. Soon the party disbands, and

1632-408: Is all.' The mystery is solved, and the show concludes as the cast sings to the audience to read the writing on the wall. As Drood is metatheatrical , the characters of the play The Mystery of Edwin Drood are played by actors of the "Music Hall Royale", within the production. The following are the dual roles each cast member plays. The actress portraying Miss Alice Nutting/Edwin Drood also performs

1728-625: Is being forced to stay at the theatre by the gangsters, but Howell doesn't believe her and wants to discuss wedding plans. Fred insidiously points out how boring Lilli's life with Howell will be compared with the theatre. Bill sings a love song he has written for Lois ("Bianca"). The gangsters discover that their boss has been killed, so the IOU is no longer valid. Lilli leaves—without Howell—as Fred unsuccessfully tries to persuade her to stay ("So in Love" (Reprise)). The gangsters get caught on stage and improvise

1824-405: Is called in to play another character as that actor is unable to come, but it turns out that the scenes of his character and the scenes of Mayor Sapsea coincide – and the characters have to disagree with each other. This results in major confusion for poor Mayor Sapsea/The Chairman and laughs for the audience. He and Jasper sing of their conflicting minds – Jasper, of course, meaning it literally – in

1920-440: Is leaving the show. However, the gangsters have reappeared, and Fred tells them that if Lilli quits, he'll have to close the show and won't be able to pay them the $ 10,000. The gangsters force her to stay at gunpoint. Back onstage, Bianca and Lucentio dance while the chorus performs "We Sing of Love", covering a scene change. The curtain opens, revealing the exterior of a church; Petruchio and Kate have just been married, and they exit

2016-460: Is married. However, she is shrewish and ill-tempered, and no man desires to marry her. Three suitors – Lucentio, Hortensio, and Gremio – try to woo Bianca, and she says that she would marry any of them (" Tom, Dick, or Harry "). Petruchio, a friend of Lucentio, expresses a desire to marry into wealth ("I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua"). The suitors hatch a plan for him to marry Kate, as Baptista

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2112-475: Is playing Katherine . The two seem to be constantly arguing, and Lilli is particularly angry that Fred is pursuing the sexy young actress Lois Lane, who is playing Bianca . After the rehearsal, Lois's boyfriend Bill appears; he is playing Lucentio, but he missed the rehearsal because he was gambling. He tells her that he signed a $ 10,000 IOU in Fred's name, and Lois reprimands him (" Why Can't You Behave? "). Before

2208-516: Is revealed that Puffer has been investigating Drood's disappearance but has also noticed a rather seedy-looking figure who seems to be doing the same. It turns out that this man (played by the same actor who plays Drood, normally), Dick Datchery, is a private investigator. They sing "Settling Up The Score". The cast appears and summarizes the situation, warning the audience, "Don't fall back on your assumptions, hasty presumptions might do you in!", telling them to think carefully of whom they will vote for as

2304-462: Is rich. Kate, however, has no intentions of getting married ("I Hate Men"). Petruchio attempts to woo her ("Were Thine That Special Face"). Offstage, Lilli has an opportunity to read the card. She walks on stage off-cue and begins hitting Fred, who, along with the other actors, tries to remain in character as Baptista gives Petruchio permission to marry Kate. Lilli continues to strike Fred, and he ends up spanking her. Offstage, Lilli furiously declares she

2400-460: Is still "So In Love" with him. Fred tries to keep Lilli from reading the card that came with the flowers, which reveals that he really intended them for Lois. However, Lilli takes the card with her onstage, saying she will read it later. The show begins ("We Open in Venice"). Baptista, Katherine and Bianca's father, will not allow his younger daughter Bianca to marry until his older daughter Katherine

2496-744: The Italian Renaissance , Verdi's operas, blues, the Viennese waltz , and, in "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", the 1897 hybrid "Bowery waltz". In writing the lyrics for Kiss Me, Kate , Porter drew from Shakespearean themes and language, without creating something esoteric, and the song " Always True to You in My Fashion " was inspired by the Ernest Dowson poem " Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae ”, with its refrain "I have been faithful to thee, Cynara, in my fashion". After

2592-546: The Martin Beck Theatre on November 18, 1999, and closed on December 30, 2001, after 881 performances and 28 previews. Directed by Michael Blakemore , Produced by Richard Godwin , and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford , the opening night cast included Marin Mazzie , Brian Stokes Mitchell , Amy Spanger , Michael Berresse , Ron Holgate , Lee Wilkof and Michael Mulheren . This production won

2688-643: The New York Shakespeare Festival , approached him to write a new musical . Holmes, a singer-songwriter who recorded the Billboard No. 1 Hit , " Escape (The Piña Colada Song) " and wrote songs for the Platters , the Drifters , Wayne Newton , Dolly Parton , Barry Manilow , and Barbra Streisand , first became interested in writing a musical in 1983. After a nightclub appearance where he performed "story songs" and shared humorous anecdotes, Holmes received

2784-543: The Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Mitchell; Marin Mazzie received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and Michael Berresse , Lee Wilkof and Michael Mulheren received Tony nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. A West End revival opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre on October 30, 2001, and closed on August 24, 2002. As with

2880-703: The Warehouse Theatre . In 2012, a London West End revival of the musical played at the Arts Theatre for a limited season from 18 May. The cast was headed by Wendi Peters as Princess Puffer, with Natalie Day as Edwin Drood, Daniel Robinson as John Jasper, and Victoria Farley as Rosa Budd. The production was directed by Matthew Gould. The Roundabout Theatre Company presented a Broadway revival at Studio 54 , which opened in November 2012 and ran for 136 performances through March 10, 2013. The production

2976-508: The "authentic book which is funny without the interpolation of gags. Cole Porter has written his best score in years, together with witty lyrics. Under Hanya Holm's direction, the dancing is joyous. And Lemuel Ayers has provided carnival costumes and some interesting scenery." The production won 5 Tony awards including Best Musical. The 1949 original cast recording has been inducted into the Library of Congress 's National Recording Registry for

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3072-803: The 1987 Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical, while McAuliffe won the Olivier for Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actress in a Musical. The production moved to the Savoy Theatre on January 15, 1988, with a new cast. A short-lived Broadway revival ran at the Broadway Theatre in January 1952. It was directed by John C. Wilson and choreographed by Hanya Holm . Holly Harris and Robert Wright starred as Lilli and Fred. A Broadway revival opened at

3168-472: The 1987 London production and the 1988 North American touring production. The numbers "A Man Could Go Quite Mad," "Ceylon," "Settling Up the Score," and the quartet reprise of "Moonfall" are not standard but are provided as "additional material" that theaters can choose to perform at their options. In 1985, a recording was made of The Mystery of Edwin Drood featuring the original Broadway cast. This recording

3264-536: The 1999 Broadway revival, Michael Blakemore was the director with choreography by Kathleen Marshall. Brent Barrett and Marin Mazzie co-starred. Chichester Festival Theatre 's 2012 revival of the show transferred to the Old Vic Theatre on London's South Bank in November 2012, with an official opening in December. It starred Hannah Waddingham as Lili/Kate and Alex Bourne as Fred Graham. The production

3360-476: The 2012 Broadway revival § Moved at the end of Act I for the Tams-Witmark licensed version and the 2012 Broadway revival †† Moved after "Settling Up the Score" for the Tams-Witmark licensed version and the 2012 Broadway revival For the version of Drood that Tams-Witmark licenses to theater companies, Holmes made a variety of changes to the score and libretto, many of which reflect the versions seen in

3456-504: The 2012 cast of the Broadway revival was released by DRG Records in a 2-disc set and as a digital download. DRG Records describes the recording as "the complete musical program on 2 compact discs" for the first time. Differences between this recording and the original recording include confessions from all eight possible murderers, two versions of "Out on a Limerick" (Bazzard and Helena), the lovers' reprise of "Perfect Strangers" (featuring

3552-600: The Anspacher Theatre, and through this sponsorship, the company was able to grow and expand its outreach to new audiences. Another such company was the Riverside Shakespeare Company . The Festival, under Papp's leadership, sponsored several Riverside Shakespeare Company productions at a critical stage in its development, beginning with Riverside's New York premiere production of Brecht's Edward II in 1982 at The Shakespeare Center on

3648-411: The Broadway production starred George Rose , Cleo Laine , John Herrera, Howard McGillin , Patti Cohenour , and Jana Schneider, who were all nominated for 1986 Tony Awards for their performances, as well as Betty Buckley in the title role. Donna Murphy , Judy Kuhn , and Rob Marshall were members of the ensemble. Marshall, who would later become best known as a theater/film director-choreographer,

3744-559: The Delacorte's opening has seen between one and three works produced, with two works being standard since 1973. The plays of Shakespeare account for about four-fifths of the works produced, and, except for 1977 and 1980, each summer's line-up has included at least one work by Shakespeare (or, in the case of 1970, one work adapted from Shakespeare). Non-Shakespeare productions have included plays such as Anton Chekhov 's The Seagull and Henrik Ibsen 's Peer Gynt and musicals such as On

3840-467: The Life That Late I Led?"). Off-stage, Lilli's fiancé Harrison Howell is looking for Lilli. He runs into Lois, and she recognizes him as a former lover but promises not to tell Lilli. Bill is shocked to overhear this, but Lois tells him that even if she is involved with other men, she is faithful to him in her own way (" Always True to You in My Fashion "). Lilli tries to explain to Howell that she

3936-530: The London Coliseum, in a production by the Sadler's Wells Opera . The cast featured Emile Belcourt (Petruchio), Judith Bruce, Eric Shilling , Ann Howard (Kate), Francis Egerton and Robert Lloyd, with direction by Peter Coe and choreography by Sheila O'Neill. Coe did a translation for British audiences, including having "a tea wagon", and included "traditional English music hall jokes". This revival had

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4032-562: The New York Shakespeare Festival supported other theatre companies throughout New York, helping to foster the growth of Off-Broadway , as well as specific theatre programs and projects. Among these companies that benefited from NYSF during critical periods of their development was the Theatre for a New Audience . The Theatre for a New Audience developed a number of productions sponsored by the NYSF, including A Midsummer Nights Dream , presented at

4128-461: The Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca , and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul of some gangsters. The original production starred Alfred Drake , Patricia Morison , Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang . Kiss Me, Kate

4224-404: The Shrew ." Most inventively, Holmes used a novel method to determine the play’s outcome: audience voting. At a break in the show, the audience votes on who killed Drood, the identity of the mysterious Dick Datchery, and which two characters will become romantically involved, creating a happy ending . Since every audience differs in temperament, the outcome is theoretically unpredictable, even to

4320-542: The Shrew . During the NYSF period of support, the Riverside Shakespeare Company expanded greatly, offering for the first time The Shakespeare Project in 1983, and serving a wide range of audiences in the five boroughs. Kiss Me, Kate Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack . The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare 's The Taming of

4416-621: The Town , Into the Woods , Two Gentlemen of Verona , The Mystery of Edwin Drood , and Disney's Hercules , the latter three having made their world debuts at the Delacorte. The 2017 production of Julius Caesar , directed by the Public's artistic director, Oskar Eustis , stoked controversy by creating significant visual and behavioral similarities between the production's Caesar and recently inaugurated U.S. president Donald Trump. Despite

4512-556: The Upper West Side (dedicated by Joseph Papp in 1982), followed by Equity parks tours of free Shakespeare throughout the five boroughs of New York City, much as the NYSF had done for years before. Riverside Shakespeare Company summer parks tour of Free Shakespeare sponsored by the NYSF began with A Comedy of Errors in 1982, followed by The Merry Wives of Windsor , featuring Anna Deavere Smith in her New York stage debut as Mistress Quickly, Romeo and Juliet , and The Taming of

4608-473: The Wicked Man Comes" (sung by a much younger Deputy), "Sapsea's Song" (a music hall ditty for Mayor Sapsea), "I Wouldn't Say No" (a song and dance routine for Durdles) as well as "When Shall These Three Meet Again" – a group number which can be heard as underscoring throughout the show and in the murderer's confession: "But the night was far from bright..." On January 29, 2013, a recording featuring

4704-508: The actors, who must quickly tally the votes and perform the chosen ending (although some smaller companies will "fix" the results to limit the number of possible endings). This device required Holmes to write numerous short endings to cover every possible voting outcome. There are several differences between the musical and the Dickens novel. The most obvious is tone. The original episodes, consistent with Dickens’s style, were bleak. Holmes made

4800-810: The album's "cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation's audio legacy". The original West End production opened on March 8, 1951, at the Coliseum Theatre , and ran for 400 performances. Directed by Sam Spewack with choreography again by Holm, this production starred Patricia Morison, Bill Johnson , Adelaide Hall and Julie Wilson . The original Australian production played from February 1952 at His Majesty's Theatre , Melbourne, before seasons in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide until 1954. The production featured Hayes Gordon and Joy Turpin (later replaced by Evie Hayes ). A London revival opened in December 1970 at

4896-480: The audience, and explains her life in "Wages of Sin". A sinewy ballet dance follows. 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. Puffer shows great interest in this fact and stores it away in her memory. Back in Cloisterham, Neville and Drood meet and come to odds with each other almost immediately. Next, The Chairman

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4992-407: The book, Holmes deliberately chose not to imitate Dickens's writing style, as he felt it would be too bleak for the show he envisioned. Instead, he employed the device of a "show-within-a-show." The cast members of Drood do not specifically play Dickens's characters; rather, they are music hall players performing as Dickens's characters. This device allowed for the incorporation of light comedy, which

5088-453: The book, the music, the lyrics, and the full orchestrations for Drood , an unusual accomplishment. While Holmes believed no Broadway creator had done this before, and the feat was frequently mentioned in reviews and press about the show, it was more common in the early days of musical theatre. Although songwriters, including Adolf Philipp , had been credited for the books of their musicals, none had also written their orchestrations. In writing

5184-426: The cast album are currently out of print, but can sometimes be found (often at a high price) through secondhand vendors or online auction sites. An Australian cast album (GEP Records 9401) was released in 1994. This recording did not include "Ceylon" or "Moonfall Quartet", but did include three previously unrecorded tracks: "A British Subject", "Puffer's Revelation", and "Durdles' Confession". The Australian cast album

5280-465: The central plot and most of the featured characters. From pantomime, he retained the concept of the "Lead Boy,” always portrayed by a young female in male drag, which permitted him to write a love song sung by two sopranos. Pantomime also inspired the most ground-breaking aspect of Drood : audience participation. From music hall traditions, he created the lead character of "The Chairman,” a sort of Master of Ceremonies instigating stage action. Holmes wrote

5376-673: The church; the gangsters, dressed in Shakespearean costume, are onstage to make sure that Lilli stays. Petruchio implores for Kate to kiss him, and she refuses. He lifts her over his shoulder and carries her offstage while she pummels his shoulder with her fists ("Kiss Me Kate"). Act II During the show's intermission, the cast and crew relax in the alley behind the theater. Paul (Fred's assistant) and other crew members lament that it's " Too Darn Hot " to meet their lovers that night. The play continues, and Petruchio tries to 'tame' Katherine and mourns for his now-lost bachelor life ("Where Is

5472-524: The costume and tracked down the killer; the girls did it mainly to disguise their gender, Neville to prove his innocence, Crisparkle to help both Neville and Helena and Bazzard to give himself both a dramatic reveal and an important character to play. The gist of each song is that the character follows Jasper to his house and finds the clasp that Rosa gave Drood, which Jasper would have had only if he had taken it from Drood. Jasper's double nature reveals itself, and he admits that he strangled his nephew while under

5568-575: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 season was cancelled; a budget shortfall of 20 million dollars was predicted. The Public Theater is heavily reliant on private donors. In 2005, the theater company was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $ 20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation , which was made possible through a donation by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg . Many plays from

5664-431: The fact that the play is widely viewed as a cautionary tale against political violence, right-wing activists objected to what they characterized as the murder of a stand-in for Trump and interrupted two performances. Bank of America and Delta withdrew their sponsorship of the production; Bank of America resumed its sponsorship of Shakespeare in the Park by the following season, and JetBlue replaced Delta. Due to

5760-467: The first of the NYSF's Shakespeare Marathon. Since its inception, the festival has become popular with both New York natives and visitors to the city, and while the Delacorte Theater has 1,872 seats, prospective theatergoers can expect to sit in line for hours before the early afternoon ticket distribution. Approximately 80,000 people attend Shakespeare in the Park every year. Over the years,

5856-437: The gangsters. The production was filmed on stage for a November 17, 2024 release in UK cinemas and internationally. Act I The cast of a musical version of William Shakespeare 's The Taming of the Shrew is rehearsing for the opening of the show that evening (" Another Op'nin', Another Show "). Egotistical Fred Graham is the director and producer and is starring as Petruchio , and his movie-star ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi,

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5952-520: The gist of each of these songs is that the character who killed Drood was seeking to kill Jasper , not Drood, for his or her purpose – Puffer to protect Rosa, Rosa to save herself, Helena to get revenge on Jasper for ruining her twin's chance at a new beginning, Bazzard to bring himself into the limelight, Neville because he wanted Rosa for himself, and Crisparkle because he killed Rosa's mother out of jealousy and religious mania and wanted to protect both Rosa and Neville from Jasper's evil. However, because of

6048-403: The guests depart into a violent storm. 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". The next day Drood has vanished. Crisparkle's assistant discovers Edwin's torn coat by the river. Drood was last seen walking there with Neville the night before. Neville is almost lynched by

6144-477: The idea for Kiss Me, Kate after witnessing the on-stage/off-stage battling of husband-and-wife actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne during their 1935 production of The Taming of the Shrew . In 1947, he asked the Spewacks (undergoing their own marital woes at the time) to write the script; Bella Spewack in turn enlisted Cole Porter to write the music and lyrics. Porter's score drew from musical styles of

6240-506: The influence of the laudanum that he revealed he poured into the wine the night of the dinner party ("Jasper's Confession"). Durdles the gravedigger, however, disagrees; he witnessed the crime and knows who truly killed Edwin Drood. Depending on the audience's vote, the finger is pointed at Bazzard, Crisparkle, Helena, Neville, Puffer, Rosa, or Durdles. The murderer confesses, then sings a reprise of one of several numbers, beginning with "A Man Could Go Quite Mad", to admit his or her culpability;

6336-430: The late Dickens and other novelists, numerous theatrical extrapolations, and three film adaptations of the story. At the time Dickens died, British pantomime styles, distinguished by the importance of audience participation and conventions like the principal boy , reached their height of popularity, and music hall performances with raucous, risqué comedy and a distinct musical style rose to prominence. Rupert Holmes ,

6432-473: The major creative contributor to the musical Drood , spent his early childhood in England. At age three, he was taken to the theater for the first time: a modern "panto" with a cross-dressing lead boy and audience sing-alongs. By age eleven, he was fascinated by mystery books and first discovered the unfinished Dickens novel. Holmes drew on these experiences when impresario Joseph Papp , the creator and head of

6528-437: The murderer, in the song "Don't Quit While You're Ahead". As the song climbs to a climax, the actors trail off, and the Chairman announces to the audience that it was at this place that Charles Dickens laid down his pen forever. However, they, with the audience's help, will resolve the story and the public voting begins as to who Datchery and The Murderer are; unfortunately, the actress playing Drood and, up to that point, Datchery

6624-867: The musical "more accessible for today’s audiences". Roundabout produced a benefit concert of the show with O'Hara, Ellis, and Carlyle in 2016. The revival had a limited run at Studio 54 . Previews began on February 14, 2019, with the opening on March 14. The production closed on June 30, 2019. A revival directed by Bartlett Sher and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast ran at the Barbican Theatre in London from June 4 to September 14, 2024, with an official opening on June 18. The production starred Adrian Dunbar as Fred / Petruchio and Stephanie J. Block as Lilli / Katharine. Other cast members included Charlie Stemp as Bill / Lucentio, Georgina Onuorah as Lois / Bianca, and Nigel Lindsay and Hammed Animashaun as

6720-500: The night of his disappearance ("The Writing On The Wall"). What happened was that when Drood was attacked, he was only stunned when he fell and not killed. Jasper dragged him to a crypt where he left him. When Drood woke, he escaped and fled from Cloisterham, only returning so that he could find out who wanted him dead. He sings to the audience, eventually joined by the rest of the cast, imploring them to hold on to life for as long as they possibly can and telling them that 'holding on to life

6816-594: The opening, Fred and Lilli meet backstage, and Lilli shows off her engagement ring from Washington insider Harrison Howell, reminding Fred that it's the anniversary of their divorce. They recall the operetta in which they met, which included "Wunderbar", a Viennese waltz; they end up fondly reminiscing and singing and dancing. Two gangsters show up to collect the $ 10,000 IOU, and Fred replies that he never signed it. The gangsters obligingly say they will give him time to remember it and will return later. In her dressing room, Lilli receives flowers from Fred, and she declares that she

6912-541: The opening-night Confession and murderer, and omitted the "lovers." A 1990 re-issue of the cast album by Varèse Sarabande (Varèse 5597) included two tracks, "Ceylon" and "Moonfall Quartet", that are on the original LP and cassette, but not on the CD. It included only Bazzard's version of "Out on a Limerick" and two Murderer Confessions (Rosa's and Puffer's). The Polydor recording was briefly available on cassette and LP and ultimately re-released by Varèse Sarabande. Both versions of

7008-553: The original cast) immediately got underway. Following a great deal of editing (the Delacorte version contained 32 original songs and was nearly three hours long) The Mystery of Edwin Drood opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on December 2, 1985. The show ran for 608 performances (not including 24 previews) and closed on May 16, 1987. The Broadway production was produced by Papp and directed by Leach, with choreography by Graciela Daniele . The opening night cast of

7104-437: The patter song "Both Sides Of The Coin". We are then introduced to the drunken stonemason Durdles, and his assistant Deputy. 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"). As a parting gift, Rosa gives Drood her hair clasp, which once belonged to her mother. It

7200-406: The play ends ("Kiss Me Kate" (Finale)) with them, as well as Bill and Lois, kissing passionately. Act I Act II Notes A film version of the same name was released in 1953. There have been at least four television productions, the first on Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1958, with Drake and Morison reprising their Broadway roles, the second recorded for the launch of BBC Two in

7296-487: The productions are managed by The Public Theater and tickets are distributed free of charge on the day of the performance. Originally branded as the New York Shakespeare Festival ( NYSF ) under the direction of Joseph Papp , the institution was renamed in 2002 as part of a larger reorganization by the Public Theater. The festival was originally conceived by director-producer Joseph Papp in 1954. Papp began with

7392-481: The quote "well, let's build the bastard a theater." Following this, Moses requested funds from the city for the construction of an amphitheater in the park. In 1961, the Delacorte Theater was built. The first performance held in the theater in 1962 was Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice , starring George C. Scott and James Earl Jones . The Delacorte Theater is an open-air amphitheater located on

7488-487: The role of Dick Datchery up until the Voting portion of the evening. However, this is merely a "bit" within the context of The Music Hall Royale – Miss Nutting only portrays Datchery due to a contractual obligation for her to appear in both acts of the play. Ultimately, the audience decides who Dick Datchery is within the confines of Dickens' story. * Not included in the original cast recording † Reinstated for

7584-484: The roles of others. For example, Bazzard is employed by Rosa's guardian, Mr. Grewgious, in the novel, but he is Crisparkle's assistant in the musical. Act One opens as the members of the Music Hall Royale circulate among the audience, introducing themselves to the patrons. 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

7680-464: The show more lighthearted and comedic. There are also differences in characters. The most notable is Jasper, who Dickens undoubtedly repressed and troubled. Holmes made him a full-fledged split personality , omitting several of the novel's clues that Jasper is the killer, fabricating new clues implicating other suspects, and explaining that there would be no mystery if Jasper were the obvious killer. Holmes also omitted several minor characters and expanded

7776-422: The show's opening number, "There You Are". 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. Drood is engaged to the fair Miss Rosa Bud, who is Jasper's music pupil and the object of his mad obsession. Rosa's suspicion of his obsession is confirmed when at her next lesson, he asks her to sing

7872-468: The southwest corner of the Great Lawn in Central Park, closest to the entrance at 81st Street and Central Park West. It was built in 1961 and named for George T. Delacorte Jr., who donated money for its creation. Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond provide a backdrop for the shows at the Delacorte. As shows at the Delacorte begin in the early evening, shows usually start in daylight; as the play rolls on,

7968-443: The storm, Jasper had walked with Drood for a while and then given him his coat to wear for the journey home, so the murderer, because of the laudanum in the wine and the foul night weather, mistook Drood for Jasper. (Durdles lacks this motivation, however, so his confession is simply that, in his drunkenness, he mistook Drood for a ghost.) If, although not likely, the audience chooses Jasper as the murderer, Durdles does not interrupt and

8064-530: The summer festival have gone on to Broadway , including Wilford Leach 's staging of The Mystery of Edwin Drood from the 1984–1985 season and The Tempest from the 1995–1996 season. The festival has also attracted many well-known actors, such as Meryl Streep , Morgan Freeman , Martin Sheen , and Al Pacino – the latter two of whom appeared as Brutus and Marc Antony in a toga-clad historical production of Julius Caesar , directed by Stuart Vaughan in 1987, in

8160-536: The sun sets and the audience is drawn into the illuminated action on the stage. Since 1962 the Public has had the privilege of its exclusive use. Tickets to Shakespeare in the Park are free and tickets for a given performance are distributed the same day by various methods: Shakespeare in the Park also offers specific performances throughout the summer for patrons with hearing and/or vision loss including Sign Language interpreted performances, audio-described performances, and open-captioned performances. Each summer since

8256-431: The townsfolk before being rescued by Crisparkle. Jasper publicly swears to track down his nephew's killer; later he visits Rosa and confesses his love for her. She is horrified and angry, and they sing "The Name Of Love And Moonfall", ending with Jasper's pursuing Rosa off-stage as the act concludes. Act Two begins six months later, and still, there is no sign of Drood. There is much speculation as to his fate. Meanwhile, it

8352-421: Was Porter's response to Rodgers and Hammerstein 's Oklahoma! and other integrated musicals ; it was the first show he wrote in which the music and lyrics were firmly connected to the script. The musical premiered in 1948 and proved to be Porter's only show to run for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway . In 1949, it won the first Tony Award for Best Musical . Producer Arnold Saint-Subber conceived

8448-634: Was co-produced with Welsh National Opera who continued to tour it in 2016, first as part of the Shakespeare400 season at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff , and then to Liverpool Empire Theatre , Bristol Hippodrome , New Theatre Oxford , Mayflower Theatre Southampton , Birmingham Hippodrome , and Venue Cymru Llandudno , before returning to Cardiff. The production was revived at London Coliseum briefly in June 2018, following

8544-538: Was deemed a success. The original production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood premiered in New York City's Central Park at the Delacorte Theatre on August 21, 1985, after only three weeks of rehearsals. Notably, Holmes conceived most of the orchestrations himself, a rarity for a Broadway composer. After the final Festival performance on September 1, preparations for the Broadway transfer (retaining

8640-469: Was directed by Scott Ellis and starred Chita Rivera as Puffer, Stephanie J. Block as Drood, Will Chase as Jasper, Jim Norton as the Chairman, and Gregg Edelmann as Crisparkle. New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park ) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater , an open-air theater in New York City 's Central Park . The theater and

8736-582: Was directed by Trevor Nunn . The show received positive reviews from critics and audiences. Hannah Waddingham and Alex Bourne were both nominated for the 2013 Olivier Awards as Best Actress/Actor in a Musical for their performances. In September 2015 Opera North presented a revival directed by Jo Davies, choreographed by Will Tuckett . The production opened at the Leeds Grand Theatre before touring to Theatre Royal Newcastle , The Lowry Salford , and Theatre Royal Nottingham . The production

8832-423: Was not present in the original novel, and several musical numbers unrelated to the original story. Holmes explained his decision, stating, "This is not Nicholas Nickleby set to music – it's not a Dickensian work. It's light fun and entertaining. But I hope – I think – that Dickens would have enjoyed it." Holmes also noted that the show “has the same relationship to Dickens that Kiss Me, Kate does to The Taming of

8928-430: Was performed by a largely non-professional cast and used (arguably crude) midi sequencing in lieu of a live orchestra. Two songs that were omitted from Drood before it reached Broadway, "An English Music Hall" and "Evensong," (a duet between Rosa and Crisparkle) were later recorded for the 1994 album, Lost In Boston . Other songs that never made it into the Broadway or London/'88 Tour (Tams-Witmark) versions include: "When

9024-459: Was released by Polydor with the additional subtitle, The Solve-It-Yourself Broadway Musical (Polydor 827969) and the CD included versions of "Out on a Limerick" by all five possible Datcherys (Rosa, Crisparkle, Bazzard, Neville, and Helena) and all six possible Murderer's Confessions (Puffer, Rosa, Bazzard, Crisparkle, Neville, and Helena), as well as an "instructional track" entitled "A Word From Your Chairman...." The LP and cassette included only

9120-535: Was succeeded by Clive Revill . The show, also enjoyed a 1987 West End run at the Savoy Theatre in London, a second U.S. national tour, a production at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake , Ontario, Canada , and numerous regional and professional and amateur theatrical productions worldwide. In 2007–08, a London revival, presented as a chamber piece and directed by Ted Craig , ran at

9216-790: Was the Dance Captain and Graciela Daniele's assistant choreographer. Kuhn (in her Broadway debut) served as the understudy to both Buckley and Cohenour, and then left in 1986 for her featured roles in Rags and, later, Les Mis . Before the show ended its run, Murphy, who was understudy to Cleo Laine and Jana Schneider, took over the title role. Other notable replacements during the show's run included Alison Fraser (taking over for Jana Schneider), Paige O'Hara (taking over for Donna Murphy as Drood after being her understudy), as well as Loretta Swit and later Karen Morrow , who stepped into Laine's roles. In 1988, several months after closing on Broadway,

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