Clarence Brown Theatre Opens New Season With The Return Of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

The show that played to rave reviews until Covid stopped it in its tracks last season.  Back by popular demand, Agatha Christie's masterpiece, “Murder on the Orient Express,” will open the Clarence Brown Theatre's 2023/2024 Season September 6 – 24, 2023.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 865-974-5161 or online at https://clarencebrowntheatre.com/shows/murder-on-the-orient-express/.

The Pay What You Can Preview performance, where patrons can name their own price, will be held Wednesday, September 6.  Behind the Scenes Sunday will take place following the Sunday, September 10 matinee.  A Talk Back will take place Sunday, September 17 following the matinee. Deaf Night at the Theatre will take place on Tuesday, September 19, beginning at 6:30 pm. The Open Captioned performance is Sunday, September 24 at 2:00 pm. 

The production is sponsored by Pilot Company, The Schubert Foundation, Arts & Culture Alliance, Knox County Tourism Consortium, Tennessee Arts Commission, Knox County Tennessee, and The Department of the Treasury. Media sponsors are Knoxville News Sentinel, WUOT, East Tennessee PBS and WUTK.  Free and convenient parking is available in the Upper Parking of McClung Tower Garage (G2) on Volunteer Boulevard.

The production contains all the glamour, intrigue, and suspense of Christie's novel, with a healthy dose of humor to quicken the pace.  Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks.  The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of year, but by morning there is one less passenger.  An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed numerous times, his door locked from the inside.   Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – before he or she can strike again.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the author not only of “The Mousetrap,” the longest running stage production in history, but also “Witness for the Prosecution” and “And Then There Were None,” to name but a few of her greatest stage successes. Her novels have sold more than 2 billion copies around the world, and she is only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare.

Adaptor Ken Ludwig has had six shows on Broadway, seven in London's West End, and many of his works have become a standard part of the American repertoire. His 28 plays and musicals have been performed in over 30 countries in more than 20 languages and are produced throughout the United States every night of the year.

John Sipes (Director), Professor Emeritus in the Department of Theatre at the University of Tennessee, will direct the production.  Before joining the UT faculty, he was a Director and the Resident Movement Director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for fifteen seasons. Prior to his residency at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, John was a Director and Movement Director for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival for twelve seasons and served as the Festival's Artistic Director for five seasons. Directing credits include productions at the Clarence Brown Theatre, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie Theater, The Acting Company, the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and others.

Terry D. Alford (Musical Director) is a Distinguished Lecturer in Theatre and teaches Musical Theatre Performance and Honor's Introduction to the Theatre and Acting. He earned his BA and MFA in theatre from The University of Tennessee. Terry is a member of the Clarence Brown Professional Company and regularly directs and musically directs for the Clarence Brown Theatre. Favorite CBT directing credits include “South Pacific,” “A Shayna Maidel,” “The Real Inspector Hound,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” among others. He has worked professionally as a performer, director, musical director, and composer at theaters across the country and has created the scores for four original musicals and a variety of chamber and vocal music pieces. Terry also directs or musically directs shows locally with the Flying Anvil Theatre and the Knoxville Children's Theatre. 

The cast includes: Armando Durán (Hercule Poirot); John Pribyl (Monsieur Bouc); Rachel Allion (Mary Debenham); Michael Najman (Hector MacQueen); Guthrie Butler (Michel the Conductor/Head Waiter); Carol Mayo Jenkins (Princess Natalya Dragomiroff); Rachel Darden (Greta Ohlsson); Christine Sage (Countess Elena Andrenyi); Katie Cunningham (Mrs. Helen Hubbard); David Brian Alley (Colonel Arbuthnot); Jed Diamond (Samuel Ratchett); Tyler Glover (Steward/Waiter); and J. D. Joiner (Steward/Waiter/#2 Soldier). Understudies include: Terry Weber (Hercule Poirot); Sammy Pontello (Monsieur Bouc); Develyn Jayan (Mary Debenham); Denzel Dejournette (Hector MacQueen); Clay Cooper (Michel the Conductor/Head Waiter); Grace Belt (Princess Natalya Dragomiroff); Yahashvi Choudhary (Greta Ohlsson); Gabriella Bulka (Countess Elena Andrenyl); Laura Beth Wells (Mrs. Helen Hubbard); Andante Petite-Homme (Colonel Arbuthnot/Samuel Ratchett); and J.D. Joiner (Steward/Waiter #1, #2/Soldier).

The creative team for this production includes:  DJ Pike (Scenic and Projections Designer): MJ Hromek (Costume Designer); Kenton Yeager based on designs by Joshua Mullady (Lighting Designer); Mitch Wilson (Assistant Lighting Designer); Joe Payne (Composer/Sound Designer);  Patrick Lanczki (Stage Manager); Blake Julian (Assistant Stage Manager); Bailee Boisclair (Assistant Stage Manager); Simone Ladouceur (Assistant Stage Manager); Leah Cleland (Assistant Stage Manager) and LoRen Seagrave (Assistant Stage Manager).

With a dual mission to train the next generation of theatre artists and to provide top quality theatre, the Clarence Brown Theatre is a professional theater in residence at the University of Tennessee.  Under the leadership of CBT Producing Artistic Director and UT Theatre Department Head, Kenneth Martin, and Managing Director, Tom Cervone, the CBT season runs from August through May and features six productions ranging from musicals to drama.  

The CBT provides a cultural resource for both the University and the larger East Tennessee community and affirms diversity and inclusivity in all their forms.

For more information or tickets, call the CBT Box Office at 865-974-5161 or visit us online at https://clarencebrowntheatre.com/

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!