Theater Review: 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' at Center Stage Theatre

Review by Connecticut Critics Circle member and Naugatuck Patch Neighbor Nancy Sasso Janis

Center Stage Theatre in Shelton is the latest venue to present the delightful "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," a musical written by Rupert Holmes. The original Broadway production was produced by Joseph Papp for the New York Shakespeare Festival.

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The program synopsis explains that the "tale is presented as a show-within-a-show, as the Music Hall Royale–a delightfully loony Victorian theatre company–presents Dickens' brooding mystery."

The Center Stage production is directed by Tom Simonetti, in his directing debut at Center Stage located in his hometown. Simonetti is the founder and executive director of Valley Shakespeare Festival, which presents annual outdoor performances in a park that is literally down the road from the Center Stage campus. He also is an adjunct professor of theatre for the fortunate students at CCSU.

The director writes in his letter in the actual printed program that Rupert Holmes, who penned "Escape (the Pina Colada Song,)" adapted Charles Dickens' final and unfinished novel into "a uniquely inventive musical. Rather than providing a solution, Holmes invites the audience to help solve the mystery." As a result, every performance is distinct, and each audience truly gets to determine the ending. I remember thinking at the first "Drood" that I reviewed that this could not possibly be true, but the audience does indeed get to vote for the ending. To quell any doubts, Center Stage displayed the voting results in the lobby.

Simonetti points out that "beneath its comedy and music-hall atmosphere, "Drood" challenges us to look beyond first impressions…The show reminds us that truth is rarely straightforward, and individuals are often more complex than the narratives we create about them."

At the last minute, the director had to read "The Writing on the Wall" and fill in for the important role of Your Chairman. This proved to be the perfect role for the talented Equity actor in which to show off his spot-on comic timing and improv skills. The character of the Chairman stops the action to introduce the music hall actors by name and coincidentally steps into an unfilled role in the script.

While he often referred to the script he carried for his lines, he was off-book for all of his (often challenging) musical numbers. Most performers would not tackle this role after the rehearsal process had begun, let alone while simultaneously directing the show. I thought that Simonetti added another layer of comedy to an already fun musical as he covered "Both Sides of the Coin."

The director has assembled a group of talented vocalists who can also act, many of them in their first show at Center Stage. It is a special treat to meet the characters before the show begins, as they move about the audience explaining the voting process to the unsuspecting.

In his Center Stage debut, Bob Hyland shows off his marvelous singing voice as The Reverend Crisparkle (portrayed by the actor Mr. Cedric Moncrieffe.) In her Center Stage debut, Liz Joblin sings beautifully as Helena Landless in (portrayed with an indeterminate accent by Janet Conover.) Emma Kelly plays the impersonator Alice Nutting, who portrays both Edwin Drood and the investigator Dick Datchery. It is apparent that Kelly is a trained ballet dancer; she teaches K-8 musical theatre at ACES WIMS in Hamden.

Dr. Shaun Rimkunas, who received his doctoral candidacy at UConn and is an adjunct instructor of trumpet at WCSU, tackles the role of Rosa Budd's music teacher, the villainous John Jasper, played by the music hall actor Clive Paget. Priscilla Squiers, who played Madame in "Cinderella" on this stage, nails the role of the actress Angela Prysock, who plays the mysterious Princess Puffer ("The Wages of Sin," "The Garden Path to Hell" and "Puffer's Revelation.")

Emily Pollack makes her Center Stage debut as the actress Miss Deirdre Peregrine who moves gracefully in a hoop skirt and sings the soprano role of the lovely Rosa ("Moonfall.") Pollack is a biology PhD student by day and played Meg in the Castle Craig Players production of "Little Women." Michael Primorac, a non-binary actor/writer who is working towards a Theatre Arts degree at WCSU, appears as Durdles, who plays Nick Cricker Sr. Jr. Resto is the actor Victor Grinstead who portrays the brother of Helena, Neville Landless. Resto is an aspiring actor looking to begin their professional acting career this fall.

Ensemble member Sydney Kishimoto, a marketing manager at Stanford University, plays Wendy and Isabelle in her Center Stage debut, while young Luca Moretti gets to play Master Nick Cricker and a deputy. The youngest cast member is a seventh-grade student from Monroe. Jeanie D Tuzzio, an educator and actress (with whom I shared the stage in "JCS") plays the role of Violet Balfou and college student Nicole Finlay portrays Miss Gwendolen Pynn.

Katie Ciurleo, who returns to the stage after a long stint in the booth, plays the actor Mr. Philip Bax, who in turn plays the role of Bazaard ("Never the Luck.") Ensemble member Melissa Blaco, a performer who works as a music teacher in Stratford, returns to this stage as the onstage stage manager called Jemma Throttle.

Chrissy Dominguez, a band director at a magnet school in New Haven, worked as the music director and QLab operator of the musical tracks. She could be seen conducting some of the solo numbers from the booth. Matt Mancuso, who I have seen onstage at MTC and Valley Shakespeare, was the choreographer of the spirited dance numbers, especially "Off to the Races." Sarah Fernandes designed the wonderful music hall costumes and was also in charge of hair and makeup. Scott Sheldon brought the music hall to the stage, with a middle section that became other scene locations. Stage Manager Leah Reed was the props master and Austin Werner provided the lighting design. There are some great sound effects in both acts.

For the record, at the Thursday performance that I attended, Bazzard was the mystery private eye, the Reverend was chosen as the murderer, Puffer and Neville were elected as the lovers

Just in time for the holiday season, Simonetti will return to Center Stage with his one-man adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," which he has performed annually for the past five years.

"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" at Center Stage is performed with a fifteen-minute interval and runs almost three hours. Remaining performances are October 3 at 7:30pm and October 4 at 2:00pm. Purchase your tickets here!

https://ci.ovationtix.com/29405/production/1262245

David C. Grady photos