Review: AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at Broadway Palm

Broadway Palm is doing something a bit different for its 229th production. The company is staging Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. This is the first time I’ve seen a non-musical in the main theater.

Not to fault the performers, but it seemed to me that the audience didn’t quite know what to make of this change. The applause at the end of scenes was sporadic at first and a few of the laugh lines didn’t draw much of a response. Then we all settled in as the show progressed and paid attention. Some of the throwaway lines were pretty funny in the midst of all the mayhem.

As has been the case with the last several shows, the video wall adds tremendously to the atmosphere. We can see the scenery going by as the train moves and the snowstorm that causes the train to stop. The story, of course, is set on a train traveling from Istanbul across Europe where the murder of the title occurs. But who is the murderer?

Blustering Detective Hercule Poirot, nicely played by Frank Hughes, has his vacation interrupted to solve the mystery.

The collection of passengers/suspects is eclectic with accents to match. Dialect coach Lori L. Engler had her work cut out for her. To my ears, Josiah Rogers as Colonel Arbuthnot and Katherine Lindsley as Mary Debenham had the most believable speech patterns.

The roles are somewhat cliched. The original novel was published in 1934 after all. Danielle Poznanovic is suitably over the top as Mrs. Helen Hubbard. Rachel Lord is quirkily funny as Greta Ohlsson. And I swear Julian Fellowes must have based Countess Violet in Downton Abbey on Princess Dragomiroff, portrayed here by Tricia Corcoran.

If you’re up for a whodunit, put on your detective hat and see if you can put the clues together with Poirot. The show runs through September 16. For tickets, call 239.278.4422.

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