Edwin Drood tickets purchased! :)

[japhun2]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:03am

After all the hype on here about Edwin Drood, I am proud to say I have purchased tickets for my upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca...I mean NYC. :)

Can't wait!

Did anyone see the original 1986 run? I want details! :)

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:19am

I saw it.

Drood is a very solid, big confection of a show. Wisely, it never takes itself too seriously, and is chocked full with great roles. Holmes's score is wonderful.

At the risk of sounding stuck in the past, I almost wish the revival would represent the color and look of the original. The palette of the design was very unique; like an array of ice creams in pastel (with the sugarcoating miraculously kept to a minimum).

Shockingly, the show had eight tony nominations, but was not nominated for scenic design, costumes or lighting. Elements which 26 years later (oh, just shoot me!) remain indelible.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:40am

I'm a bit mixed on Edwin Drood - the original cast was ridiculously talented, it was well directed and choreographed, the voting section is controlled pandemonium and as Henrik says, it was beautifully designed, the concept of the whole thing is supremely clever - but for some reason, I found the show resistible back then. It felt like it kept promising more fun than it actually delivered. It's also somewhat disappointing if the murderer you vote for doesn't win (although at the performance I saw, the murderer was Rosa Bud and she has a giddily crazy confession that I remember Patti Cohenour performing to the hilt).

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:57am

I love that they include all the different confessions and "out on a limerick"s on the recording. Rosa Bud's confession is my favorite because of Patti's performance. She really becomes unhinged.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 9:54am

^^^^
I think that's only on the digital recording. The actual cd only includes 3 or 4 of the endings.

I always wondered who has been chosen the most. The production I saw it was Puffer.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 9:55am

I downloaded mine from iTunes, so that makes sense

[tazber]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 9:56am

Actually, I just looked and the cd is out of print anyway.

The one issue I have with the digital is that it doesn't include the Moonfall reprise (Quartet) nor Ceylon.

(both are up on youtube though if you want to hear them)

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:13am

And the Moonfall Quartet and Ceylon are, naturally, two of my favorite numbers.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:14am

And Jana Schneider gave one of the weirdest, most brilliantly funny performances I've ever seen.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:19am

Performance from part of original London cast

[castlestreet]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:29am

Drood has always struck me as the kind of show who's OBC as stated above, was so filled with top notch talent, that many productions will probably fall short of your expectations.

I am really excited to finally see a Broadway production of this though- I think they have put together a pretty solid cast.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:32am

I wouldn't be surprised if, for the revival, people vote Puffer everytime for more Chita

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:46am

Reginald, I also remember being wowed by Jana Schneider.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:49am

Not that I saw the original production, but the production I did see was probably the most fun I ever had at the theatre. And I was glad when the cast called the audience out on voting for Neville and Helena as the lovers at the end.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:07am

I agree that Puffer will probably be voted the murderer most often, but then there's still the vote for who Dick Datchery is.

Posted: 8/22/12 at 5:31pm

I saw the original cast twice (Stunning) and Patti Cohenour was AMAZING! Once Loretta S*it came in, it really sucked for me... she was gawd awful... And I hate to say it but Donna Murphy was a pretty awful Drood... She did not hit the $ note that Buckley did.

[japhun2]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:44pm

I don't want it to always be Chita either...do you think the audiences will be that biased? Or will have the people who have been watching Smash choose Will Chase? hehe

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:24pm

Hope you like it!

[tazber]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:27pm

Just for the record, my section voted for Jasper.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:28pm

Puffer does have a great confession though, with the Wages of Sin reprise.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:32pm

No doubt.

Which raises a question I never thought of: does anyone know what song the murderer reprises in productions where they don't use "A Man Can Go Quite Mad"?

Updated On: 8/22/12 at 11:32 PM

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:49pm

Even if Chita is voted murderer every night, no one will be disappointed. Her confession is terrific. In my opinion, hers and Rosa's are the best two.

ETA: Tazber, "A Man Could Go Quite Mad" is still used thematically in many of the confessions, even when the song itself is cut at the beginning of the show. The biggest difference in the confessions is that Neville, Helena and Crisparkle's confessions incorporate "A British Subject", the song that replaced "Ceylon". I'm very curious to see which version of the show they're using for the revival, the original version or the revised version that is licensed.

Updated On: 8/22/12 at 11:49 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:57pm

Oh thanks bwayfan!

And I also think Rosa has the best confession.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:59pm

My only exposure to Rosa Bud's confession (also my favorite) is Patti's recording. And she is tremendous, jumping from screaming to legit soprano in an instant.

Betsy Wolfe got some big shoes to fill

[phan24]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 1:36am

*SPOILER*
Jasper will always get to sing his confession, it's the way the script is written, even if he is not the ultimate winner of the votes.

And after his confession, the actual winner of the votes appears as the real murderer. (or second after Jasper, if happened to win)